jake108 | Geekscape

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Arrow’ – Monument Point

by jake108May 11, 2016

We’re back with another recap of tonight’s Arrow! Monument Point wasn’t just an episode that was actively setting the stage for a Darhk vs. Arrow bout. It also served as a pivotal point for Team Arrow, which is something they’re probably going to remember for the rest of their lives. So without further ado…

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Monument Point

What may come as a surprise to some, Monument Point has served as a plot device in DC lore, previous to appearing in Arrow tonight. Unfortunately for the city itself, it’s no stranger to disaster.

In tonight’s episode, Team Arrow, I mean Felicity, managed to reroute a nuclear missile so that it would hit 20 miles east of his destination. This destination turned out to be Havencroft, which is a suburb of Monument Point. While Monument Point may be safe from widespread destruction, those living in the city are still in danger of fallout and radiation. It’s quite possible that this disaster will not be ignored by larger entities and may play as a pivotal factor in the next season of Arrow.

All the Best Cowboys…

Daddy issues are frequent in this show, and have been since Oliver watched his dad commit suicide right in front of him. This week, we got a few of doses of daddy-drama when Donna, Felicity’s mom, confronted Lance regarding his lie about knowing the Black Canary’s true identity. After a few stern words, Lance revised his report stating that he knew, and cooperated with his daughter’s heroics. While this may jeopardize his reinstatement in the police force, Lance can at least rest easy knowing he made Donna happy.

The second dose came when Felicity was forced to contact her father to help save the world. While Noah regarded the whole affair as making up for missed bonding time, Felicity kept their interactions strictly professional. There’s no telling as to what Noah will become after this ordeal. Who knows? Maybe he’ll go live out at that cabin the woods, or rent another cabin somewhere near by. I hear there’s a cabin near Central City that recently went back on the market.

The third dose came when Thea had a run in with her father. Merlyn explained that the only reason why he’s working with Darhk was, of course, to perserve his life, as well as his daughter’s life. To be fair, had Oliver not taking the mantle of Ra’s Al Ghul away from Merlyn, he’d probably be utilizing the League of Assassins to take down HIVE. Still, doesn’t Merlyn have a few loyalists still? Don’t be surprised if they show up at the end of this season.

Darhk

Darhk wasn’t in much of this episode. However, in the bit he was in, he looked fierce. It’s been properly stated that the reason why Darhk wanted nuclear annihilation, besides being able to rebuild afterward, was because his power thrives on the death of others. Nuclear bombs, of course, are the quickest way to kill people. Since one bomb went off, killings tens of thousands, we can assume that Darhk is mighty powerful right about now.

There’s really no telling as to what Oliver is going to do now that Darhk is more powerful than he has been all season. Maybe we’ll get another couple of flashbacks as to how he was able to survive that magical situation on Lian-Yu. The two arcs have to be connected somehow, and I’m sure Oliver will probably have one last thing up his sleeve that doesn’t involve learning magic in some back room at a casino.

A.R.G.U.S

A.R.G.U.S. was seen at the tail end of this episode helping out Team Arrow. Most of the agents, including the head of A.R.G.U.S. herself, helped by fending off a number of HIVE soldiers. Their presence here is meaningful because it explains why no one is helping out at Central City.

Zoom has the city under siege with a meta-human army at his command, but I’m sure SWAT has it covered.

Anarky

Anarky made another appearance this episode, just when I was beginning to forget about him. He’s still hellbent on taking down Darhk, and may prove to be a vital asset to Team Arrow down the line when it’s time to take Darhk down.

Remember, Anarky has been involved in each of Team Arrow’s attempts at taking Darhk down. The last time he was involved, Anarky had kidnapped Darhk’s family, leaving Darhk vulnerable for Team Arrow to come in and find his weak point.

That’s all for this week! As always, thanks for reading!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i23uTEFzX6g

Geekscape Recaps: ‘The Flash’ – The Runaway Dinosaur

by jake108May 11, 2016

Kevin Smith is synonymous with the definition of geekdom in many of our vocabularies. It’s not uncommon to come across some that don’t generally like him or his work, and that’s fine, but I think he deserves a round of applause for guiding what seemed to be the most unique and hardest episodes to direct in the series. The Runaway Dinosaur closed a story thread that had been swinging in the wind for the entirety of the series; And that of course, was Barry coming to peace with making the decision to not save his mother at the end of the first season. So without further ado, let’s get to it!

Nora Allen

Nora Allen’s death was the driving force behind the first season. Of course, the big baddie last season was Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. the Reverse Flash, but it was Thawne’s action in killing Nora Allen that set off the events that would unfold into Barry Allen becoming a hero and defeating his nemesis for the first time. At the end of the first season, we saw Barry had a chance to save his mother and change history as we knew it. This would also mean that Barry’s life up until that point would be drastically different. For instance, he would have never lived with Joe, never would have grown up with Iris, and he would not be the same person he was in that instance.

When Barry made the decision not to save his mother, partly because his future self chimed in with his two cents, Barry had to live with it. His guilt, which was stacked on already losing Ronnie Raymond to the singularity, was evident from the start of this season. You can even get a feeling for how Barry was feeling during this Comic-Con trailer for season two:

I just feel like I made a mistake. I should’ve saved my mom.

Now, after visiting and talking to Speedforce incarnate, Barry seems to be at peace with his decision. It also helped talking to a Speedfroce version of his mother, who was also in communication with his real mother.

Now, feeling fulfilled, we were properly introduced to a new and improved Barry Allen. It’s going to be a blast seeing this new version of The Flash in the next couple of weeks, and next season.

The Speedforce

Last week, I went a little in depth as to where a speedster goes when they transcend our reality. However, in the show, the Speedforce seemed to take on a persona that seems to be immortal and omniscient.

There isn’t much to discuss here other than that the Speedforce will probably making appearances in one way or another from now on. It’s also inspired Barry to take on what he sees as his true calling. Strangely, seeing Barry like this remindes me of Season Six Jack in LOST.

Jesse Quick

Jesse Quick seemingly has some sort of speedster-like powers. This comes after being hit by Barry’s leftover energy, and having some form of energy transferred over to her from Barry.

What’s eerie here, and perhaps means nothing at all, is that this scene was remeniscent of a scene in Episode 20 of Season 1. In this scene, Iris visits Barry in the hospital, some time after Barry is struck by lightning. When Iris lays her hand onto Barry’s, the same shock is present, only, this lightning here is blue.

Zoom Gets to Bring Friends

At the end of the episode, Zoom revealed his army from Earth-2, and possibly other Earths as well. We won’t know for sure unless there’s some evidence presented inferring they’re all from Earth-2.

Some of these villains will look familiar for comic readers, and it’s very exciting to see villains being utilized from deep within DC lore. I can’t wait for next week’s episode!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUKi7JnVt-w

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Arrow’ – Genesis

by jake108May 4, 2016

Tonight’s episode of Arrow moved us one step closer to a final resolution between Damien Darhk and Team Arrow. While the episode seemed to move alone steadily, it was nice not having to flashback to Lian-Yu. Also, it would be nice to at least see Oliver talk to Constantine once in a while!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

The Diggles

After many years of searching for the man who killed his little brother, John Diggle came to the realization that he had to do it himself. It was the right choice, especially after Andy kept coming at Diggle and threatening his family. Still, it’s probably going to be a little difficult if this whole event ever comes up in conversation with Diggle’s nephew.

The death of Andy signifies Diggle’s transformation. This was also marked by the contrasting views Lyla had when Diggle came back injured from his encounter with Andy. Diggle came close to reverting back to his own self by putting himself in danger without thinking of any repercussions that may follow his death. However, by the end of the episode, it was clear Diggle has changed for the better.

Magic 101

This episode also saw Oliver attempting to learn magic to combat Darhk’s abilities. During his training session, Oliver fought Deathstroke, Darhk, and other past enemies from Lian-Yu. This was a pretty cool segment, and it was nice seeing the Deathstroke suit dusted off.

During this training session, we also learned that the reason why Darhk chose Star City as his base of operations was because of the existence of a magical “nexus”, similar to the one found on Lian-Yu. It’s assumed that this is where Darhk gets his powers, using that totem to channel his magical abilities. By the end of the episode, we found that two can play that game:

Thea

After taking some time off from the team while Oliver left to Hub City, Thea found herself in a bad situation in which she was drugged and kidnapped to a shelter under Star City. The shelter is of course operated by HIVE, and we’ve seen a glimpse of this place earlier this season. The dome is powered and its air is filtered by plants. HIVE was obviously thinking long term here, as they should be.

As for Oliver’s ex-political advisor, he’s clearly under the control of HIVE, presumably not by choice. He mentioned that he was taking “vitamins” given to him by Ruvé Adams, Darhk’s wife. Of course, we know that this pills are used to take control of people, turning them into agents of HIVE. We saw this happen to Andy Diggle, and there’s no word yet on if the effects can be reversed.

Genesis

Finally, we caught wind of Darhk’s endgame. It’s assumed that Darhk plans on nuking the world and rebuilding his own in the future. His endgame is peculiar because it affects the entire world. You would think that Vandal Savage would have something to say about this.

If you remember more than a few weeks back, Damien Darhk appeared in a Legends of Tomorrow episode. In it, Darhk was seen trying to buy nuclear weapons. It’s clear now that nuking the planet has been in Darhk’s head for a few decades, if not longer. His yearn to control the planet also falls in line with his teachings within the League of Assassins, and it’s also probably what got him cast out of the league entirely, paving way to the Ra’s Al Ghul we saw last season.

Hub City

Lastly, but certainly not least, I wanted to expand a little on Hub City. The city is patrolled by The Question. Question is an expert martial artist, vigilante, sometimes conspiracy theorist, and a master detective. If he looks familiar to you, much of his persona was borrowed to create Rorschach of Watchmen.

The city also pays homage to Ted Kord, also known as the Blue Beetle. Kord Industries has also been featured repeatedly on Arrow.

That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7cTJ3EeFGc

Geekscape Recaps: ‘The Flash’ – Rupture

by jake108May 3, 2016

We’re back with another recap for The Flash! After a few ups and downs, I wholeheartedly believe that tonight, we were dealt one of the best episodes of the series. This episode, we saw a Barry Allen without speed. While it may not be the first time we’ve had an episode where Barry struggles to live without his speed, we haven’t seen an episode where things truly become dire right in front of a helpless Barry. If Grant Gustin hasn’t solidified his role as Barry Allen for you, I don’t know what it’s going to take for that happen. Let’s get on with the recap!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Caitlin

Caitlin continues to have one of the most underrated and interesting character arcs this season. Let me reiterate by saying that we first found Caitlin working at a STAR Labs competitor at the start of this season. She was apprehensive at the notion of even returning to STAR Labs, let alone become part of the team again. This was completely understandable since she lost Ronnie at the end of season one. Now, having ben kidnapped by Zoom, Caitlin is continually being exposed to “the darkness.”

Now, I’m not going to jump the shark and come right out and say Caitlin will assume her role as Killer Frost, but what I think we can expect in the third season is a darker Caitlin. You can’t be next to Zoom, especially for these next few days that can be described as the darkest days Central City has had, and expect to be completely fine afterward.

Iris

This episode marked Iris revealing her feelings about Barry. While there have been hints here and there over the course of the first season and this one, this marked an important step in developing their relationship out further. As long as it doesn’t feel forced, and as long as Iris doesn’t get the Felicity treatment, I’m fully on board.

Last season, Iris felt like an accessory. She was the daughter, she was the love-interest; And after Eddie died, she had to rediscover herself. In doing so, she had to forge her own path into becoming part of Team Flash. At the time, Barry was involved with Patty, eliminating her role as the love-interest for the time being. So as long as she keeps her identity and doesn’t revert back to what she was in the first season, I think we can expect a great dynamic to be added in season three of The Flash.

Cisco and Dante

The brotherly love was strong with this episode. Cisco has been repeatedly made to feel left out of his own family, and Dante wasn’t helping the cause. Their relationship was on full display when Cisco met up with Dante at the bar, but for viewers who are new to the show or don’t quite remember their relationship from season one, a full transition took effect. Who knew all you need to repair a relationship with an estranged family member is an evil doppleganger from another Earth trying to kill you both?

Barry

In dramatic fashion, it would appear Barry got his speed back, but not without disappearing into the Speed Force. Seeing this transition was hard to watch, depending on how invested you are in the show. But regardless, it was very cool seeing this happen. As to where Barry went, he’s probably lost in the Speed Force, and he’s going to need some rescuing. There have been multiple interpretations as to where this place is, and/or how it happens. In the Justice League animated series, Wally West runs so fast, in trying to defeat a merged Brainiac and Lex Luthor, that he becomes one with the Speed Force and needs the rest of the League to help get him out.

In another instance, specifically in Young Justice, Wally is again subject to becoming part of the Speed Force.

Now, how would I imagine Barry gets out? Well, it’ll be up to Team Flash. However, I would love it if Jesse and Wally use speedster-like powers to tap into the Speed Force and save Barry.

Another thing I’d like to point out is the possibility at an answer as to what exactly that time wraith was a few episodes back. If you remember, Barry went back in time to have Eobard Thawne teach him how to get faster. During that trip, a time wraith chased Barry around and nearly killed him.

If you look closely, this time wraith is wearing Flash’s cowl, but no suit. The body also looks charred. Could it be possible that this time wraith was born when Barry entered the Speed Force? If so, it would make sense that all that would be left of Barry is a charred body and the cowl. After all, when Zoom went into STAR Labs, he only picked up Barry’s suit, which was missing the cowl.

Jesse and Wally

I believe we have just witnessed the origins of Jesse Quick and Kid Flash and I could not be more excited. The wave that knocked the two over was probably Barry, in Speed Force form, I guess you could say. In the comics, there have been multiple instances where a speedster becomes one with the Speed Force. In one comic arc in particular, Barry turns into the lighting that strikes him at his origin, making him the Flash. Seeing what happened to Jesse and Wally was reminiscent of that.

I would say the chances of seeing two speedsters helping Barry out in the coming episodes are pretty high. Since they were hit by the result of Barry getting his powers back, it’s hard to say just how fast they’ll be, but we can assume they won’t be as fast as Barry. Here’s to hoping seeing them in action in the penultimate episode this season!

Who’s in the Mask?!

Things are starting to ramp up to another big reveal at the end of this season. One, if not the most mysterious story threads this season has been the identity of the man in the mask being held in Zoom’s lair. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I believe the man in the mask is the real Jay Garrick. However, what’s key here is that this Jay Garrick is that of Barry’s father’s doppleganger.

A major hint was dropped tonight when Barry visited his father at his far-away cabin. During their conversation, Henry informed Barry that his mother’s maiden name was Garrick. How this version of Jay Garrick will relate to Hunter Zolomon is yet to be seen. However, one theory would suggest that they’re step-brothers, or brothers. We’ll just have to wait and see!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyTi8qkw7rY

That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ – Last Refuge

by jake108April 21, 2016

Legends of Tomorrow is certainly ramping up the action as the season draws to a close. Unfortunately for us, it’s that time of year where all of our favorite shows are starting to wrap and we’re on the home stretch towards three season finales. In Legends, we saw some great character development in each of the crew, with the exception of Snart. That’s okay since we already know what Snart is all about and have already gone back to his childhood earlier this season. So what’s going to happen next? Where does this episode leave us in the pursuit of Savage? Well, let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Pilgrim

In the comics, Pilgrim is a deadly assassin who is proficient in the use of firearms. She also wears a sort of symbiote that grants her special abilities such as invulnerability, super strength, enhanced senses, and time travel. In the show, it looks like her powers may have been provided by her by the time masters. Perhaps her greatest ability was being able to put the Legends in suspended animation.

Unfortunately for her, she didn’t expect a young Rip Hunter stabbing her multiple times. This lead to her defeat and, well, atomized remains. If they did this to her, I can only imagine what they’ll do when they get their hands on Vandal Savage.

Heatwave

We got a definitive origin for Heatwave this episode. As it turns out, the death of his parents was an accident, but an accident that could have been prevented. Rory eventually went back to try and talk some sense into his younger self, something that we might see pay off in the long run. Who knows, if Mick and Snart develop some compassion, they could do some real good back where they came from, or wherever they end up.

Refuge

As explained in the show, the Refuge is a place where a sort of foster mom raises future time masters. The refuge is hidden in time and apparently the time masters continually forget that it exists and do not have the foresight to see that they have a traitor in their midst. It was nice to see where Rip comes from, but disappointing at the same time. In the comics, Rip Hunter’s father is Booster Gold. Booster Gold became a hero using tech stolen from the future. Eventually, Rip Hunter recruits him to help restore the time stream, while keeping their relations a secret.

What’s Next

Well, since the Legends are “out of time,” that leaves the team no choice but to hit Savage at the height of his power. While this sounds like a terrible idea, it’s the only option they have at the moment. The next few episodes should see the Savage arc come to a head with a definitive conclusion.

That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading!

Robert Downey Jr. Joins ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’!

by jake108April 21, 2016

You read that right! We have our first confirmed appearance of an Avenger in the newest Spider-Man reboot. For those of you who have read Civil War, Iron Man and Spidey have a sort of relationship where Stark gives Parker some new tech to go with a new suit.

For those of you keeping count, this DOES NOT count as one of those contractual appearances Robert Downey Jr. has with Marvel. Instead, Downey was able to negotiate a new contract with Marvel and Sony that makes this entirely separate. Downey will also reprise his role as Iron Man in Infinity War parts one and two.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is set to release July 7, 2017!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘The Flash’ – Versus Zoom

by jake108April 19, 2016

It’s been a long hiatus, but we’re finally back with another episode of The Flash. This episode provided some much need answers as to some lingering questions, mostly dealing with Zoom’s identity. Let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Hunter Zolomon

Zoom is indeed Hunter Zolomon. Zolomon made the mistake of showing Caitlin his doppleganger in an earlier episode this season. Since the start of the season, we here at Geekscape have been speculating Jay Garrick’s ties to Zoom. I wrote about it early on in the season, and today, we found out exactly what the whole business was with Jay Garrick dying a few episodes back.

The way Zolomon explained it was that the Garrick we saw die was a time remnant. We saw another example of this earlier this season when the Reverse-Flash came back in time. Zolomon somehow convinced his time remnant to be a part of Zolomon’s grand scheme in stealing the Flash’s speed. Zolomon initially says the remnant agreed to the plan because it was so good. It’s also entirely possible that he was holding his remnant hostage the entire time. As for who’s in the mask, Zoom remarks, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

In this episode, we also saw that Zolomon’s father fought, presumably, in the War of the Americas. This was an odd detraction from what Garrick said at the start of the season, saying his Grandfather fought in the war, and not his father. Was Zoom lying? Was there a bit of retcon? We’re going to have to keep watching to find out.

Keystone City

Keystone City made an appearance this episode, and it wasn’t in suspended animation! However, it does look a little dire in Keystone. It’s nice to know that this place exists and will probably show up again in the future. Still, at least we know that there is at least ONE pizza shop in the city.

Keystone City is home to both Wally West Flash and Jay Garrick. There isn’t much more significance other than that. However, it would be cool if Wally moved to Keystone, should he ever get his own set of speedster powers.

Supergirl

If you watched closely, you saw Flash temporarily vanish from Central City and reappear shortly after before heading back to STAR Labs. After getting back, Barry questioned Cisco, asking stuff like how long he was gone and what was happening. That brief moment of absence was spent on Supergirl’s Earth, whatever Earth that is.

Vibe

Cisco finally broke down what has been stopping him from exploring his powers. The bottom line was that he was afraid of becoming a villain. After a solid pep talk from Barry, Cisco decided to use his powers to open a breach to Earth 2. While Barry and Cisco are partially to blame for Wally’s capture, hopefully the ordeal pushes Cisco to continue on the path of realizing his true potential.

Flashpoint Easter Egg

For those of you who have read the Flashpoint comics, or have seen the movie, you may have noticed a fun little easter egg in Zoom’s creation. When the particle accelerator blew up on Earth-2, Zolomon was in the midst of electroshock treatments. This origin is similar to how Barry got his powers back on another Earth.

Who’s in the Mask?!

Well, it seems we have three solid candidates as to who’s wearing the mask. Before, it was easy to guess that it may be another variation of Jay Garrick or Hunter Zolomon. Perhaps an older Jay Garrick is also in the cards. Regardless, whoever is in the mask knows a tap code used during wartime, specifically for POW’s. First, those who would know that means of communication would be an older Jay Garrick who fought in the war or Zolomon’s father.

The third, perhaps more convoluted is Wally West of another Earth. If we are to take the events that happened on another Earth, it’s possible that like Earth-2, there is another Earth where Barry does not become the Flash. Perhaps instead, there is another Earth where Wally West is the Flash and that’s why Zoom kidnapped him away from Earth-1. In any case, this will build up until the season finale and may have repercussions on the series itself.

That’s all for this week! As always, thanks for reading!

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Blues and Bullets’ – Episode 2!

by jake108April 18, 2016

Blues and Bullets is a title that is unique to the current video game marketplace. With all these simulation games, all of the FPS’ at our disposal, it’s easy for any indie game to get lost in the frenzy. Blues and Bullets deserves a play through, and at the very least, your attention. What A Crowd of Monsters has accomplished is a stunning piece of art filled with mystery, emotion, and suspense. If you’re just catching on to this title now, feel free to read my review of Blues and Bullets Episode 1. Otherwise, let’s jump in!

Episode two picks up where the first episode left off. Like other games told episodically, A Crowd of Monsters provides gamers with a “Previously on” segment that recaps everything you did in the first episode. I personally found it helpful to revisit your choices from episode one, something you can do in the main menu. While the first episode set the foundation for Blues and Bullets, episode two dives in head first into developing the game’s main cast of characters. This is done by weaving in flashbacks from Elliot Ness’ point-of-view. Here, we are able to see just what kind of man Elliot Ness was before he lost his friends to Al Capone. What I like most here is that A Crowd of Monsters puts games into the shoes of an Elliot Ness who’s in the middle of an extra-marital affair. What’s unique about this is that players aren’t able to avoid Ness’ mistakes altogether, but instead are tasked with where to go from there.

This episode also delves into Ness’ band of “Untouchables” and what exactly happened to them. By the first episode, we had an inkling that something didn’t go down right, and Elliot had only himself to blame. With Shaking the Hive, gamers can get the full backstory as to what happened, and where Elliot Ness was when it happened. Juxtaposed with Ness’ flashbacks is the game’s main story arc. Let’s not forget that the reason why Ness came out of retirement was to investigate a string of child abductions, including Al Capone’s own granddaughter.

As we found out in episode one, a cult located within the city is responsible for the abductions. What’s unknown is what exactly they want with the children. However, the cult seemingly dates back decades before Ness takes on the case. In fact, the cult’s history may blend with Ness’ own history, something he’s slowly starting to figure out.

Shaking the Hive has more action than the first episode. This may come as a relief for players who were craving more gunplay. While the action is somewhat linear and “on-the-rails”, it fits the game’s scheme and world. This, coupled with witty banter between Ness and Capone make for an exciting sequence. Episode two also returns a chapter in which you can play detective and piece together a clues to achieve the answers you’re looking for. While it does feel like A Crowd of Monsters is trying to achieve a sort of formula for these episodes, I must stress that it is a welcomed formula and at no time did I feel terribly bored or jaded to what was going on.

Overall, episode 2 does well with representing the classic noir theme. If you’re into Telltale games and episodic storytelling, definitely take a chance on Blues and Bullets. You will not be disappointed.

Blues and Bullets episodes 1 & 2 are available now on Xbox One, PC. Episode 1 is available now on the Playstation 4 and episode 2 will be available later this month.

AMC to Host Advance Screenings of ‘Preacher’!

by jake108April 12, 2016

You read that right. If you’re a super fan, and are anxiously awaiting the premier of Preacher, well, you’re luck. Before you get your hopes up, you must know that these advance screenings are likely to go to the bigger cities across the country. Starting today, AMC launched a social media campaign that lets fans compete against other cities for a chance at hosting an advance screening.

Fans can visit Twitter or Instagram to post their most creative photos, videos or comments about why their hometown deserves an exclusive “Preacher” screening using the hashtag #PreacherFanScreenings. AMC will select four cities or towns for a screening of the series’ pilot episode on April 30, May 7, 15 and 21.

Best of luck to all of you out there! For more information on the fan screenings, you can visit: http://www.preacherfanscreenings.com/

“Preacher” will premiere Sunday, May 22^nd at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on AMC, following the mid-season finale of “Fear the Walking Dead.” Encore presentations of the pilot episode will air the following Sunday, May 29^th at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT providing viewers with an opportunity to catch-up during the holiday weekend. New episodes will resume Sunday, June 5^th at the series regular time of9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

‘The Defenders’ Set to Film Later This Year

by jake108April 11, 2016

Fans of Netflix’s MCU will be excited to hear that the Defenders will begin filming later this year. For now, the roster includes four main heroes. If you haven’t been keeping up, this team will be comprised of Iron Fist, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones.

Speaking at a Netflix event in Paris, Daredevil star Charlie Cox had this to say:

What we do know is at the end of this year we’re going to be making The Defenders and, of course, Daredevil is very much a part of that foursome. I have no idea what the storyline is going to be for that show. I’m very excited to see how those world’s combine… and interested to see tonally how those shows become one.

As for a third season of Daredevil, the MCU seems to have put that on hold until after The Defenders is done filming. Currently, Netflix has Luke Cage up next on the slate, which will be debuting in September this year. A second season of Jessica Jones has been announced, but we don’t have a release date yet. Iron Fist is currently in pre-production and will start shooting very soon!

‘Blues and Bullets’ Episode 2 OUT NOW!

by jake108April 11, 2016

A few months back, we profiled A Crowd of Monsters’ latest project, Blues and Bullets. This episodic thriller puts you in the shoes of a retired detective who has recently picked up a case involving missing children, an occult cult, and, you guessed it, Al Capone.

Blues and Bullets works very much like a Telltale game in that all of your decisions will have residual effects by the end of the series. It’s art style and original story is a breath of fresh air. Seriously, if you’re interested in picking up an indie game, Blues and Bullets will not disappoint. Check out the trailer for episode 2 below:

Episode 2: Shake The Hive, sees players don the coat of Eliot Ness once again, as he dives deeper and deeper into the conspiracy that he discovered in Episode 1. Players can expect to visit diverse locales including a submarine, learn more about Eliot’s past, meet new characters, explore more complex crime scenes, and enjoy improved gun combat. As with Episode 1, the players’ choices will have an impact on the storyline and culminate in a gripping cliffhanger.

Blues and Bullets episode 2 is out now for the Xbox One and PC at $4.99 / €4.99 / £3.99. Playstation 4 owners can expect to see episode 2 hit the digital marketplace later this April.

‘Animal House’ Returns to Theaters in August!

by jake108April 11, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoS3-yHoaSY

Joining TCM’s Big Screen Classics lineup is National Lampoon’s Animal House. Animal House will be screening in over 600 theaters across the country, with the help of Fathom Events, on August 14th and 17th. If you weren’t aware TCM had a lineup already in place, you may be happy to find out that Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (May 15 & 18) and On the Waterfront (April 24 & 27) will also be gracing the silver screen again.

If you’re interested, you can find the full lineup and buy tickets on the Fathom Events website!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Arrow’ – Eleven-Fifty-Nine

by jake108April 7, 2016

We’re back with another Arrow recap! With The Flash on hiatus, we were forced to leave it up to Arrow to deliver the goods, and they did not disappoint. Rather than waiting to find out who’s in the grave until the end of the season, we got a bitter send off to a character that, not only progressed the most this season, but was also the most pure of Team Arrow. Let’s get to it.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Damien Darhk

While we don’t exactly know what the ring was for, Darhk was able to persuade Merlyn and other baddies to essentially bring him a totem and break him out of Iron Heights. Since a full riot ensured at Iron Heights, we can only assume that more prisoners than just Darhk’s men had an opportunity to get out. And since Darhk was locked up with seemingly normal inmates, we can also assume that no Meta’s got out in the riot.

Merlyn’s service to Darhk was ultimately disappointing. By now, being the former Ra’s Al Ghul, you would think that Merlyn adores power above anything else. I don’t really understand why he didn’t take the totem for himself, unless he’s planing some kind of coup in the future. So, with Darhk’s rise to power, Team Arrow was dealt a major blow by losing one of their own. But more on that later.

We can expect Darhk to retake his position at HIVE. With his wife in office, we can also expect Star City is in some serious danger. Darhk has successfully infiltrated the city and now all that’s left between him and Star City’s ultimate destruction is one pissed off Oliver Queen.

Andy Diggle

Andy’s character arc over this last episode kept us thinking whether or not he would betray the team. This suspense was kept up until the very end. Oliver and Diggle once again got into it over Oliver’s accusations. Since Oliver rushed in by himself, against Laurel’s advice, Diggle was more inclined to stick by his brother’s side.

The betrayal will ultimately make the bond between Oliver and Diggle stronger, if they survive what’s coming. As far as Andy is concerned, we can expect to see his character resolution at the end of this season. Will he betray Darhk? Will he assume a higher position in HIVE? It’s hard to gauge exactly what Andy is getting out of this. Either he’s doing this for self-preservation, or a boatload of money. Either way, any potential relationship with his brother is pretty much shot.

Felicity

Honestly, this episode was much better without having to deal with any Felicity-Oliver relationship drama. It is my sincere hope that they put that drama on hold for the remainder of the season. It makes sense to do so, mainly because Team Arrow is going to be hellbent on capturing or ending Damien Darhk.

As we saw in the last flash-forward, Felicity was in the limo with Oliver, upset, and quite vengeful. It seems with Laruel’s death that the collective heart of Team Arrow will be filled with darkness for the remainder of the season. It will be a nice juxtaposition between the tone set earlier in the season, and the remainder.

Oliver

I wouldn’t be surprised if Oliver goes back to killing this season. Midway through the episode, he told Diggle that people don’t change, and that the darkness that made him who he was over the five years on Lian-Yu changed him forever. Diggle proclaimed that people “evolve” and move past it. But for Oliver, and what seems like the rest of Team Arrow, the events that happened last night will change all of them.

Yes, with her dying breaths, Laurel blessed the ‘Olicity’ relationship, but I really hope Oliver puts that on the back-burner until his business with Darhk is done.

Laurel Lance

At first, she picked up the mantle of Black Canary to honor her sister, to get closer to Oliver, and to protect the city in ways that would eventually make her father proud. She fought crime and super villains and based her self-worth off of it. Ultimately, the Laurel we saw develop this season changed her reasoning over why she fights for the city.

Like Oliver, Laurel fought to protect the city for herself. By doing this, she became Oliver’s equivalent. Sure, she didn’t have a horrible past, or any stay on Lian-Yu, but she did lose her sister a few times, overcame alcoholism and her pill addiction, and became one of the strongest pillars of Team Arrow. Without her, it’s hard to tell how the team will stand. We won’t have to wait long.

While I’m sure this isn’t the last that we’ll see Laurel in the Arrowverse, she will be missed as a regular on the show.

That’s all for this week! Check back for a Legends of Tomorrow recap!

Geekscape Reviews: ‘Justice League vs. Teen Titans’

by jake108March 30, 2016

If you’re just joining DC Universe’s Animated Movie Universe, then you’ll have a lot of catching up to do. Depending on who you ask, catching up on DC’s Animated Movie Universe can be a chore or it can be a great way to pass the time in between episodes of The Flash. Now, if you’re all caught up, then next up on the list is the highly anticipated Justice League vs. Teen Titans.

Fresh off the anomaly that is Batman v Superman, DC fans may be looking to what’s next. Among some of the past DC animated movies, I have to say that Justice League vs. Teen Titans has one of the strong openings. The movie starts with the Legion of Doom launching a full fledged attack on the Hall of Justice. The action is about what you’d expect from a DC animated movie and it does not disappoint. In fact, it reminded me of some of the Justice League animated series episodes. The nostalgia for someone who experienced nearly every iteration of DC animated movies or shows will indeed pop up from time to time during this movie in particular. For example, those who watched shows like Young Justice and the Teen Titans show from the early 2000’s may see some familiar faces.

The roster for the Titans has been shaken up a bit to include Blue Beetle and Starfire as the team’s mentor. While it does feel like the Titans of old, it was a welcomed experience seeing this revised Titan group interacting with characters from past movies in this DC Animated Movie continuity. The blend of characters DC is setting up in the world is great and it keeps moving forward. The roster of Titans include Beast Boy, Blue Beetle, Raven, and Robin. However, it’s important to note that Robin is indeed Damian Wayne, who was introduced in Son of Batman (2014).

The title of this movie is a little misleading. There really isn’t a “war” that goes on between the Titans and the League, but there are skirmishes here and there. The actual plot of the movie is hidden well, and the title makes no reference to what the plot is actually about. While I’m not looking to spoil you, I will say that this movie in particular is very much a Teen Titans movie, rather than just another Justice League Story. Another thing this movie does right is wasting no time in telling us how the Titans were formed or how exactly they factor in with the League.

Ultimately, this movie acts as a sort of springboard for future Titan releases going forward. Their introduction into this universe in no way feels shoehorned or convenient. Instead, while moving the plot and character development forward, this movie also features some resolutions to character arcs that were started in Son of Batman and other movies from the same continuity. While it doesn’t replace Young Justice, or any of the other animated shows, this is the close as we’re going to get.

Aside from that, there are a couple of very suggestive scenes involving Starfire. These two scenes may make you uncomfortable if you’re watching with kids. Other than that, this movie’s action and story should satisfy kids and adults alike.

Overall, this animated movie could have been better, but it definitely wasn’t the worst among the bunch. Perhaps my favorite thing about these string of movies is that they’re not all one-shots, and are instead part of a much larger story. At no point in these movies do I feel we as an audience are taking a step back to explain a Leaguer’s origin, or go over something for the 100th time. It’s a solid buy for any die-hard DC fan and a fun adventure for anyone looking to get into some of the DC lore.

For those of you wondering, here is the chronological order in which the DC Animated Movies were released:

Flashpoint Paradox post credit scene

Justice League War

Son of Batman

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis

Batman vs. Robin

Batman: Bad Blood

Justice League vs. Teen Titans

During the panel Q and A that took place after the screening, creators remarked that Teen Titan centric movies may be in the pipeline. This would mean that we would have separate stories involving the League and the Titans, but still existing in the same universe. This would also mean potential team-ups in the future and major crossover events.

Justice League vs. Teen Titans is available now via digital download and available on Blu-Ray/DVD on April 12th!

Let’s Talk About That ‘Batman v Superman’ Cameo…

by jake108March 26, 2016

WARNING – SPOILERS AHEAD!

Now that you’ve had time to digest everything that was packed into that nearly three hour movie, let’s get to what matters:

WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS FLASH WARNING BRUCE ABOUT?!

Judging by how Batman V Superman ended, there’s a couple of different routes Snyder and co can take in bringing the Justice League to the big screen. If you’ve been reading my recaps on The Flash and other DCTV shows, then you’ll know that I like to start with the facts.

The Flash

Not too far into the film, Bruce is visited by Barry Allen, The Flash. During his brief visit, the Flash warns Bruce, saying, among other things, that “Lois is the key!” The Flash also pleaded with Bruce, shouting “Find us!” Bruce didn’t really have time to react as he was plastered in his chair. I mean, who wouldn’t be?

BRUCE, LISTEN TO ME

IT’S LOIS, LOIS LANE. SHE’S THE KEY

AM I TOO EARLY? I’M TOO EARLY

YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT HIM, YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN RIGHT ABOUT HIM

FIND US, YOU HAVE TO FIND US

The Flash

The Flash was also not wearing his traditional costume and instead wore what looked like to be an armored suit. The helmet covering his face retracted, revealing that he was indeed wearing his traditional costume under the armored suit. For those who have seen the show and have read the comics, it’s no secret that the Flash has the ability to travel through time with use of the Speedforce. Still, we don’t exactly know how powerful this cinematic iteration of Barry Allen will be. For example, maybe he’s not fast enough to travel through time, yet.

In any case, I think it’s clear that the armored suit wasn’t only for protection, but instead a sort of power boost for the Flash. Wrapping up the facts, we know the Flash travelled back in time to warn Bruce of a future where things aren’t going so great. In an effort to change the future, the Flash is hoping that Bruce shapes up and forms the Justice League.

Cyborg

Now that the facts surrounding Flash’s visit are out of the way, let’s go over Cyborg’s origin. In the file Bruce obtained from Lex, we saw a video of Cyborg’s creation, meaning by the time the events of Batman V Superman come around, Cyborg is already running around S.T.A.R. Labs. However, there’s something about Cyborg’s origin that some fans may have missed.

A Mother Box is essentially a super computer developed by the folks of New Genesis. A long time ago, a brutal war between the Old Gods ended in the creation of “The Fourth World.” This place came into existence separate from the universe as we know it. Since then, the two worlds that occupy that space have been locked in an eternal war. These two worlds are known as Apokolips and New Genesis. Mother Boxes are found on New Genesis and are sometimes referenced as living computers. They are comprised of an element called Element X and have also been known to sacrifice themselves for a greater cause.

In the context of Batman v. Superman, it would appear that Dr. Stone used a Mother Box on his son and created Cyborg. This would render Cyborg to be a huge asset to the Justice League because of his knowledge and access to tech not of this world. This tech would also allow Cyborg to combat anyone from New Genesis and Apokolips, but more importantly, it would allow him to create and access Boom Tubes which brings us back to how Flash was able to reach Bruce.

As for how Dr. Stone was able to get a hold of a Mother Box, we don’t know. Perhaps Lex has already captured Scott Free, aka Mister Miracle, and is keeping him somewhere secret. Miracle is the son of the ruler of New Genisis. After being traded to Darkseid as part of a peace treaty, Free escaped to Earth and has used the planet as a sort of hiding place from Darkseid. If this is the case, it could be that Lex was using him as a bargaining chip upon Darkseid’s arrival.

A Future Without the Justice League

Fans of The Flash may be wrong in thinking Barry simply ran so fast he traveled back in time. I think the right frame of thinking here is that Cyborg is responsible for opening the Boom Tube, and that, combined with Flash’s speed, allowed time travel to be possible. This duo may be the only heroes left in a future where the Justice League never formed. It would explain where the Flash got the armored suit from (Cyborg), and it would explain why the Flash went too far back in time. The calculations of time travel may be difficult, but it would also be increasingly difficult if both Cyborg and the Flash were working against the clock.

Darkseid

In this future without the League, there is a threat so large that Cyborg and Flash see no other alternative than to warn Bruce in the past with the hope that they can change the future. A threat this large brings only a few possibilities to mind.

At the end of Batman V Superman, Luthor says something along the lines of “the bell has been rung.” Something is coming. As far as alien threats go, and because a Mother Box may be involved, I would have to go with the theory that Darkseid is coming. Darkseid would be a perfect villain to set up the Justice League films (there are two announced so far).

Injustice

One common theme found in Batman V Superman is that Lois is Superman’s world. Nothing matters more than her, and Lex was able to take advantage of that weakness. I counted maybe four instances where Lois was built to be the driving force behind Superman’s good will and belief in humanity. Should Lois die, or should Superman be tricked into killing Lois, then we can expect Superman to go into a very dark place.

The Injustice storyline involves a timeline in which Superman becomes a ruthless tyrant, controlling the entire planet. This alternate timeline fits very well within the context of Bruce’s nightmare he had in the desert. If you noticed, all of Superman’s mercs were wearing “S” patches on their shoulders. Along with the mercs, Batman also encountered Parademons. In the comics, Parademons act as Darksied’s personal soldiers. They are genetically created in labratories on Apokolips from Human DNA. They are also usually sent in advance to planets Darkseid wishes to invade. The DC cinematic universe would go into a very dark place if it were to suggest Superman is using Human DNA on Earth to create an army.

The biggest supporting evidence behind this is The Flash saying “You were right, you’ve always been right about him.” This suggests that Batman was right in not trusting Superman for the majority of the film.

A Combination of Both

Who knows? Maybe Darkseid does arrive on Earth and Batman fails at protecting Lois. After defeating Darkseid, it would be entirely possible for Superman to become they tyrant we’ve seen in Injustice. Let’s also remember the Omega symbol that Bruce saw in his “Knightmare.” The Omega symbol is usually tied to Darkseid.

We also have to remember that it will take years to see how all this plays out. The best thing about all this is that DCU is just getting started.

Have any other ideas? Comments? Theories? Don’t be afraid to comment below! Thanks for reading!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Arrow’ – Broken Hearts

by jake108March 26, 2016

Arrow is back this week with familiar faces and an old enemy. Overall, I liked this week’s episode, even the courtroom procedural aspect. So let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Damien Darhk

It was odd that he didn’t speak for the entire episode. Instead, he often peered at Oliver, lustfully, I might add. I mean, look at him!

Darhk seems to have had an alternate identity set up so that he could evade the court system and flee the country. However, what he wasn’t counting on was Captain Lance’s testimony. Still, being the Darhk he is, we saw him enact what looked like to be Plan C: Another mystical artifact that will presumably give him powers. We can’t say we didn’t see this coming, but the fact that he had the ring in his mouth for who knows how long may provide some insight as to why he didn’t really say anything.

Darhk seems like he is in control, even in a prison cell, so there’s really no telling what this ring can do. Still, I think he’s going to require a little bit more help than just putting a ring on. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be able to control guards with it or something.

Also, keep in mind that Darhk is in Iron Heights Prison, a prison with a wing that houses meta-humans that Team Flash captures.

Cupid

Arrowverse’s very own Harley Quinn made another appearance tonight and reminded us of the good ‘ol superior Suicide Squad days. Let’s all take a breath and reminisce.

Cupid presumably escaped Taskforce X, aka the Suicide Squad, around the time Amanda Waller died. Or maybe Waller lost track of her and kept it on the down low and was ultimately killed before letting anyone know. The Squad was off the books, so it could be that it’s just taken Cupid a pretty long time to make her way back to Star City to preach her “love is dead” message to its citizens.

Because she showed up, Olicity fans were treated to a fake wedding between Oliver and Felicity…Well, “fake” depending on who you ask. I’m glad Cupid didn’t go the way of Amanda Waller and Deadshot (RIP), so it’s nice knowing that she has the potential of coming back sooner or later. I honestly wouldn’t mind if she became a member of the Legends of Tomorrow next season.

Oliver and Felicity

Oliver made one last ditch effort to win Felicity over with his vows and was fooled into thinking he had an impact. We found out, along with him, that Felicity in fact did not fall for it and refuses to be in a relationship with Oliver. It would also seem as if she’s having second thoughts about being part of Team Arrow in general.

If she does indeed take a break, it would be fair to assume that break wouldn’t last for very long. As we all know, a death in the Arrow family is incoming, we just don’t know who yet.

Who’s in the Grave?!

Ah, back to our weekly segment of “Who’s in the Grave?!”. So let’s take a look at who’s likely this week.

Captain Lance testified in court against Damien Darhk. While it looks like Ghost activity has died down since Darhk’s capture, it doesn’t change the fact that HIVE is still being controlled by Malcolm Merelyn. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I don’t believe Darhk is going to be the one to take the life of whoever Team Arrow is mourning at the end of this season. Merelyn has an equal opportunity of being the one to murder someone in the Team Arrow family.

Darhk will probably make one last stand to try to regain power before being either killed or apprehended by Oliver and dumped on his Lian-Yu prison island. Then hopefully we can get a spin-off series where Deathstroke and Darhk live together on an island filled with mysterious artifacts and portals to hell.

Felicity still remains to be a likely candidate, regardless of us seeing her in the car with Oliver post grave scene. It’s not impossible to believe that Oliver would imagine Felicity sitting next to him and talking to him post-death. I mean, how many times has Shado come back to talk with Oliver?

Still, I think the key players here are Lance, Felicity, and yes, Donna. My money is still on Donna by the way.

That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘The Flash’ – Trajectory

by jake108March 22, 2016

We’re back with another episode of The Flash! That break wasn’t so bad, was it? While we did wait as patiently as we could over the last three weeks, it was nice seeing Team Flash finally connect the dots and see the correlation between Zoom and Jay Garrick. Let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Trajectory

Even when Zoom’s not around, he’s still screwing things up for Team Flash. A few weeks back, when Caitlin was still developing a serum to help Jay/Zoom gain more speed and stop his cells from decaying, she asked a friend of hers at Mercury Labs for help. Mercury Labs has shown up in the show before and it’s understandable that Caitlin would use contacts there for help. What she didn’t expect was her colleague taking the Velocity-9 herself.

Trajectory is an interesting case because through her, we are able to sort of peer into the beginnings of Jay/Zoom. If taking the Velocity drugs has the same, or nearly the same effects on everyone, then we can assume Jay/Zoom went under some kind of transition. The transition we saw tonight presumably started with a sort of split-personality disorder, where the other personality craved the Velocity serum. This turned the subject into a sort of speed junkie that only craved the serum. While Zoom had been masquerading as Jay during the duration of his stay at STAR labs, he may have told a number of half-truths. For instance, when he confessed to Caitlin that he was indeed a speed junkie, he could’ve been telling the truth. The fact of the matter is Jay said he was a chemist on Earth-2 and was actively looking for ways to increase his speed. His addiction only grew and thus, Zoom was born. We’ll get to more on that a little ways down…

Trajectory vanished as she ran from Flash at the end of their fight. Either she became one with the Speedforce, or she simply disintegrated. Still, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Trajectory.

Jesse Quick

We got one step closer to seeing Jesse Quick tonight. While she was injected with a pure form of Velocity-9, it was said that they were able to get the serum out of her bloodstream and get her back to good health. Afterwards, there was no clear sign that she had speedster powers, but maybe it’ll take some time to take effect.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Jesse return to Central City just in time to help out Team Flash in battling Zoom.

Opal City

After learning just what her father did in an effort to protect her, Jesse decided it was time that she move on and live life on her own. The interesting thing here is that she purchased a bus ticket to Opal City. This city isn’t known for much, other than playing host to generations of Starman.

Using his intelligence and wealth, Ted Knight developed a rod that granted him the power of flight, concentrated blasts of radiation, and the ability to defy gravity. The first iteration of Starman was a part of the Justice Society of America.

Zoom

We know Velocity-9 can have an effect where a split-personality can take over the user completely. Knowing this, there’s a slight possibility that Jay Garrick didn’t know he was Zoom. This would be a more tragic route for the Jay Garrick character. Since Jay was already a speedster, I would think his Zoom personality would come around slower, and more powerful.

However, it’s also possible that he knew all along and was playing Team Flash for fools. What we do know is that Zoom is dying. This is something we all saw coming, if you’ve been keeping up with the recaps.

That’s it for this week! As always, thank you all for reading!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ – Night of the Hawk

by jake108March 10, 2016

Note: Check out our recap of last week’s Legends of Tomorrow!

It was only a matter of time before Legends of Tomorrow was going to leave us too. Fortunately, it didn’t leave before giving us a solid episode which also doubles as a callback to the classic horror genre. Thanks, Joe Dante! This week, we were also treated to a pretty good cliffhanger. Unfortunately for us, we’ll have to wait until March 31 to see what becomes of the rest of the team.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Nth Metal

Nth metal made another appearance tonight in the form of a meteor. As we all know, Nth metal comes outer space. In the comics, Nth metal is very common on the world of Thanagar. Tonight, we also learned that it can mutate humans into what looked like to be more Hawk than man. It’s also what gives Hawkgirl and Hawkman their powers. A few articles back, I briefly went over the history of Nth Metal, and how it can potentially tie into the show on a deeper level.

The knife came into being when Carter Hall, then Prince Khufu of ancient Egypt, found a crashed Thanagarian ship with a very hawk-like theme. Both Nabu and Teth Adam were with Khufu when he found it. If those last two names sound familiar to you, they should. Eventually, Nabu becomes the power source of Doctor Fate and Teth Adam becomes the Black Adam. In the crashed ship, they find nth metal and create a few tools from it, including the mace and the deadly knife used in the double murder. Among other things created was the Claw of Horus. Again, sound familiar? The Staff of Horus was used by Savage at the end of this episode. It was said by Hall that if Savage got a hold of the staff, he would be nearly impossible to beat. Using information based off the comics, we can assume nth metal exists in this universe, and Savage is currently using it to his advantage.

You can read more about the Nth Metal and its ties to Doctor Fate here.

Sara Lance

Sara caught feelings, seemingly for the first time since being revived from the Lazarus Pit. This makes a lot of sense, especially since she came back with a demon inhabiting her body. Aside from that, we have to note that as of right now in Arrow, Nyssa has not heard from Sara since the revival. That’s unfortunate due to the fact that the two were once a couple.

However, after a kiss shared in the 1950’s, it would look like Sara has made one more step to becoming normal again…Well as normal as you can get when you’re a time-traveling assassin.

Captain Cold & Heat Wave

Cold was distant this week, and that’s understandable. This week danced around what we saw at the end of last week’s episode. We don’t have a definitive answer yet as to what happened to Heat Wave. Yes, Captain Cold fired his gun, and yes, the falling out between them two was pretty big. Still, I think there’s only two ways this can go:

It’s possible Captain Cold made a deal with Heat Wave and the plan all along was to have Mick turn rogue on everyone and send Mick off with something stolen off the Wave Rider. Then, once Cold could get away from the team, he would eventually meet up with Mick and the two would reap the benefits of whatever they stole.

Then there’s the obvious theory that Cold simply didn’t kill him and instead abandon him for the time being. In this theory, we could assume that Mick is now just wandering wherever and whenever he was left. However, there’s a new theory as what becomes of Heat Wave.

We know Chronos has been hunting the Legends. A new theory suggests that was subsequently picked up by the time masters, equipped him with a ship and weapons, and sent him after the Legends. It’s farfetched, I know, but it would be a neat twist.

That’s all for this week! See you all at the end of the month!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ – Marooned

by jake108March 4, 2016

Note: Check out our recaps of last week’s episodes of The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow!

While Arrow and The Flash are away, Legends of Tomorrow continues its run in exciting fashion. Last night, we had more than a few easter eggs, found out the Waverider could travel into deep space, and we were dealt a pretty big cliffhanger. Let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Eve Baxter

The majority of the episode involves Rip and company boarding a Time Master ship that’s sending out a distress call. Quickly, Rip and co find out that the ship has been boarded by Space Pirates. The ship’s real captain, Eve Baxter, had been taken prisoner. In the cell, we find out that Baxter is up to date when it comes to news regarding Rip Hunter. From her immediate perspective, Rip is a fugitive on the run from the Time Masters. She makes her allegiance clear, something that eventually changes by the end of the episode. Baxter is also probably a nod to Bonnie Baxter, one of Rip’s colleagues.

In the comics, Baxter is a scientist. After being ousted from her previous group of colleagues, Baxter joins Rip in his time-traveling adventures.

Acheron

Baxter’s ship, the Acheron, is possibly named after a Greek River. In Greek mythology, it is believed that there are five rivers in the Underworld. Acheron is known as the River of Pain. If you’re not into that sort of stuff, Acheron is also the name one of the moons orbiting Calpamos in the fictional Alien/Blade Runner universe.

Black Pirate

The Space Pirates were headed by one man, Jon Valor. While Jon Valor’s comic iteration has little to no resemblance of who we saw last night, it’s impossible to ignore just what the creative team did with the character.

In the comics, Black Pirate is a 16th century hero that is wrongfully charged with the murder of his son. Upon execution, Valor casts a spell that would enable him and his crew to never rest until his name is cleared.

See? Big difference.

Imperiex

During the episode, Rip Hunter made reference to the “Imperix onslaught.” Of course, Rip was just trying to scare Valor into thinking Ray Palmer was a legendary warrior, but for those of you that don’t know, Imperix was a pretty big enemy to the Justice League and life as we know it.

Imperix came to our solar system with the intention of hollowing it out so that he may create anew. This caused the Justice League not only to align with Lex Luthor, but with Darkseid and Warworld too. This cosmic event ended with Superman throwing Warworld, Brainiac 13, and Imperix through a Boomtube created by Darksied, which then sent them back to the big bang. That was a mouth full.

Kanjar Ro

Rip made another reference to Kanjar Ro, a villain of Superman’s and the Justice League. His reference came at another point in which he was trying to intimidate Valor. In the comics, Kanjar Ro is a schemer. He plots and eventually enacts these grand plans.

In one case, his sister became warden of a prison that would house super-villains on another planet. In this case, Kanjar Ro was casting a net to catch all of the Justice League’s enemies and use them for his own bidding.

Heat Wave

The fate of Heat Wave will ultimately have to be shown next week, or at a later date. It’s impossible to say what exactly happened, but I doubt Snart actually killed his partner. Much of the episode built up to this and for those of you who have been watching The Flash, this confrontation has been a long time coming.

Heat Wave and Captain Cold’s relationship has always been clear to us: Cold is the brains and Mick is the muscle. Mick has always been relying on Snart and his mind to get them jobs and conduct heists. That isn’t to say Mick doesn’t have a brain either though. In any case, Mick had it with Snart’s orders and the confrontation ensued. If anything, I would think Snart froze Mick or froze his legs so that the ice would eventually melt and Mick would be free to go. Exactly where and when he was dropped off is also an important question. Regardless, I sincerely hope we haven’t seen the last of Mick Rory.

That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-u8O3Aomc0

Geekscape Recaps: “Legends of Tomorrow” – Star City 2046

by jake108February 25, 2016

Note: Check out our recaps of The Flash, Arrow, and last week’s Legends of Tomorrow!

We all knew at some point, the Legends would have to go to the future at some point this season. Luckily for us, Star City was the setting for their first trip into the future. So, along with setting the stage for the next episode, the show introduced a new character fans have been clamoring for, along with an older Oliver Queen. So, without further ado, let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Grant Wilson

The promos released last week teased an appearance by Deathstroke, however, we didn’t expect that it would be Deathstroke’s son, Grant, behind the mask. In the comics, Grant Wilson has a complicated relationship with his father. While idolizing him in some instances, Grant was trained by Slade himself. However, Grant was often belittled and scolded for not living up to the Wilson name.

Eventually, Grant killed his father and thus lived up to the name. In this particular universe, it can be assumed that Grant was responsible for Slade’s outing. Slade is never really addressed beyond the likeness of Grant’s armor. However, we do know that some years prior to 2046, Slade returned with an army and took Star City by storm. Oliver tried raising an army himself, but he ended up failing the city.

Felicity got out of the city and Team Arrow was killed in the war for Star City. Fans of Arrow may find this “Uprising” familiar as it follows a similar event in the show’s second season. Looks like Slade is destined to try his hand again at taking Star City. That action can’t come soon enough.

Connor Hawke

Connor Hawke’s name has been swirling the internet ever since we all found out Oliver had a son. Of course, many of us thought it would be William who would grow up to take up the mantle of the Green Arrow. Instead, John Diggle Jr. grows up and takes up the mantle in protecting Star City. It’s important to note that Connor Hawke wasn’t trained by Oliver, or at least it didn’t seem like it. Diggle appears to have died when Connor was young. It can only be assumed that Lyla and Sara Diggle got out of the city or will also killed during the Uprising. I still find it quite frightening that neither A.R.G.U.S., The Flash, or any other militaristic force could have stopped Slade’s Uprising.

By the end of the episode, Connor and Oliver reconcile and agree to start up shop again. Connor will presumably be trained by Oliver going forward, but by the end of the episode, should everything work out, Star City 2046 will look a lot different with White Canary and The Atom present to stop Slade and his army. Did I mention how I hope this happens sometime soon in Arrow?

Heat Wave and Captain Cold

The relationship between Captain Cold and Heat Wave came to a boiling point by the end of this episode. Essentially, Snart reasserted his dominance over the “partnership” him and Mick have going on. This reassertion did go over so well with Mick as he was perfectly happy living a crime-ridden Star City 2046. While it was the perfect playground for Mick to thrive in, Snart once again displayed he has a heart, albeit a cold one.

To be fair, Snart tried to reason with Mick by playing the notoriety card, should they defeat Savage. Snart also commented on the fact that he has had to lie to Mick a few times before and during past jobs that they’ve done together. Mick took this as an act of betrayal and the two are not on great terms now. It would seem Mick is just one step away from turning on Snart, which would be bad for everyone. I could only imagine how hard it would be to eliminate Mick as a problem, short of killing him of course.

That’s all for this week! As always, thanks for reading!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Arrow’ – Taken

by jake108February 24, 2016

Note: Catch our recaps of last week’s Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and last night’s episode of The Flash!

Luckily for us, we were once again treated to a solid episode of Arrow and will now have to wait until next month to see what will become of H.I.V.E., Olicity, Merlyn, and Star City. This entire season, it seems that the show has been afraid of doing something to change the formula up, or something irreversible for that matter. Tonight, Arrow took a step in the right direction.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Vixen

We got our first live-action appearance of another beloved DC hero in Vixen. In the comics, Vixen is a respected businesswoman, a model, and a warrior. Thanks to the Tantu Totem, she is able to wield the power of pretty much the entire animal kingdom. The history of the totem derives from legend, mainly being that the totem was created with the purpose of protecting the innocent. In regards to Arrow‘s continuity, it would seem that Darhk has had some experience with the totem in the past and knows full well of its capabilities. In this episode, Darhk made reference to seeing it before. As we know Darhk has had an usual long life, which was evidenced in an earlier episode of Legends of Tomorrow. Through history, the totem was then passed down through generations until it reached the McCabe’s, and then Mari McCabe herself.

Vixen has also been affiliated with the Justice League, the Suicide Squad, and the Birds of Prey. As far as the Arrow‘s continuity goes, Vixen has appeared in an animated series that is cannon with both Arrow and The Flash. You can find these episodes here.

Magical Artifacts

Finally, we found out the source of Darhk’s power. We first got a glimpse of how Darhk was fueling his magic in the first episode of the season. With the help of Vixen, the artifact that was powering Darhk was destroyed, rendering him extremely vulnerable. Oliver took him down and Darhk is now behind bars.

However, it is foolish for anyone to think Darhk doesn’t have some kind back up totem stored away. I’m not saying he’ll come back with the same powers, but it’s unlike Darhk not to have any contingencies.

Constantine

It’s always nice to hear what Constantine has been up to since his appearance on Arrow earlier this season. When Team Arrow was looking to Oliver for external help, Constantine’s name was brought up. Oliver responded by saying Constantine was in Hell. Sounds about right.

Since then, Constantine’s presence on the show has had a ripple effect in the present, and in Oliver’s flashbacks. In this episode, the tattoo Constantine gave Oliver on his abdomen glowed when Reiter opened up an entrance to a cave. After spooky-scary Conklin showed up, Oliver was granted passage into whatever that cave leads to.

Merlyn

At the end of the episode, it was revealed that Malcolm Merlyn abducted William at a play to get on Darhk’s good side. While this action appears to be so on the surface, under-the-surface, it would appear as if Merlyn may be making a play at a bigger role.

Since the League of Assassin’s has been disbanded, Merlyn hasn’t been quite ready for retirement. Instead, I think Merlyn is going to make a strong push to assume Darhk’s reign as a sort of General in the ranks of H.I.V.E. We do know that Darhk wasn’t the sole authority in H.I.V.E., but rather answered to a committee of sorts. It doesn’t matter if the committee was afraid of Darhk, now that he’s behind bars and all, so what better opportunity for Merlyn to jump at the chance at playing the committee to allow him assume control of H.I.V.E.? I mean, he already has Ra’s Al Ghul on his resumé. In the coming weeks, I think we can expect Merlyn going full villain again, which may lead to showdown between Darhk, Oliver, and H.I.V.E. entirely. Sprinkle in a little Deathstroke in there, and it may look like we’re in for an adventure within the next 7 episodes.

Felicity

Well, that didn’t last too long. The end of Oliver and Felicity’s relationship came to an end with this episode, and for good reason. Oliver has lied a lot over the last four seasons and Felicity has had enough? Will they get back together? Probably. Will it happen soon? Probably not. I can see awkwardness between Felicity and Oliver for the remainder of the season, up until we find out who’s in the grave.

Who’s in the Grave?!

I haven’t changed my stance on exactly who’s in the grave. I firmly believe is Donna, Felicity’s mom. However, I would like to propose a new theory as to who’s responsible for whoever is in the grave. This whole season, we’ve been building up to who’s in the grave assuming Damien Darhk is the one who committed the murder. Should Merlyn make the push and assume leadership of H.I.V.E., I believe it will be Merlyn who is responsible for who’s in the grave.

Think about it. Aside from whoever is six feet under, what’s making Oliver even more distraught could be the person responsible. Oliver remarks at the gravesite his intention to kill again and how dark everything has become. A couple of episodes back, Oliver and Merlyn saw eye-to-eye when it came to helping Thea. That relationship fell apart when Oliver bested Merlyn in combat and took the League of Assassins leadership away from him. Merlyn did not hide the fact that he is incredibly angry with Oliver and made his feelings clear. Not only that, but his relationship with Thea also fell apart at the end of this episode. With his ties severed, we now have a enraged nothing-to-live-for Malcolm Merlyn hellbent on destroying Oliver Queen and everything he stands for. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the showdown.

Geekscape Recaps: ‘The Flash’ – King Shark

by jake108February 24, 2016

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

What you see above is one of the many interactions between The Flash and Hunter Zolomon, otherwise known as Zoom. Tonight, we were dealt with a very good episode in having the return of King Shark and the reveal of Zoom’s identity. However, just when you think you have it all nailed down, one tug and your entire theory becomes unraveled. But don’t worry, this is a place where we can all come together and just try and figure out what the hell is going on in this show.

King Shark

King Shark made a return this week, and with the help of Diggle and Lyla, Flash was able to bring him down for good. Lyla, who I should mention had a formal introduction as the head of A.R.G.U.S. this episode, was not as harsh as Waller would have been.

It should also be noted that under Lyla’s leadership, we’re starting to learn some of A.R.G.U.S.’ secrets. For instance, Lyla let slip that A.R.G.U.S. had been tracking meta-humans since the particle accelerator explosion. This isn’t surprising, considering Waller created the Suicide Squad we became accustomed to in Arrow. Had the Squad lived on, we could only expect that Waller would have much preferred to have Meta’s on the team. In the comics, King Shark is a vital member of the Suicide Squad.

Aside from having super-strength and being an excellent swimmer, King Shark is villainous in nature. He has been a part of a few groups, namely the Society of Super Villains and the Suicide Squad, but King Shark usually keeps to himself. Will we seem him again? Initially, I said “No.” This time, I’m going with yes.

Caitlin

Caitlin has had arguably the strongest development this season. Since the show’s beginning, Caitlin has had a roller-coaster of emotions. And now, having been bamboozled by Zoom (more on that in a bit), Caitlin is now put into a place where she can have a huge impact later this season, and in the show.

It was also brought up again that Caitlin does not have the Meta-Human gene, and thus cannot gain any Meta powers. Does this mean she’ll never become Killer Frost in Earth 1? Honestly, I wouldn’t count that out just yet.

Breaches

They’re done. They’re closed forever. This is what we were told at the start of the episode. This may remain true for the rest of the season, but the fact of the matter remains that Barry WILL go back to Earth 2, and he WILL meet Zoom again. Now, it’s just a matter of how.

Looking at the facts, we know Barry is due to have a run in with Supergirl in the crossover event, “World’s Finest.” When Barry and co travled to Earth-2, we saw that Supergirl was indeed on another Earth. We also know there are an infinite amount of Earths. It’s entirely possible here that Team Flash develops a way to travel different Earths, but it’s not a sure bet. In this case, Barry accidentally travels to Supergirl’s Earth, which would be Earth-3 or 4…

All we really need to know is that when it comes to Team Flash, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Zoom

Well, Zoom is Hunter Zolomon disguised as Earth-2 Jay Garrick. According to Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg, Zoom was able to embed himself as a member of Team Flash from the beginning.

For Barry and the others, as much as they were stung by Wells/Thawne’s betrayal, he had been their mentor and friend and they all felt that vacuum when he was gone. Jay had been watching them and knew that so he was able to masterfully step into the role each of them needed. He became a friend and mentor to Barry. A love interest to the heartbroken Caitlin. He skillfully played them all.

In my first recap, I pointed out how odd it was seeing Jay Garrick taking pictures of Barry.

For all we know, Jay Garrick is Professor Zoom in disguise. The pictures could have been used to show Atom Smasher who The Flash was. After all, Atom Smasher did say he had been dealt a curveball when Barry appeared at his hideout, claiming, “I thought I was going to have to come looking for you.”

I have since brought up my suspicions through the last few weeks and it has all culminated to tonight’s reveal. Still, I am extremely confident that there’s more to this than meets the eye. Now, we’re going to transition into a number of theories as to how this is all possible, who the man in the mask is, and how it’s all connected. I cannot guarantee your sanity by end of this article.

First, let’s look at the facts. Hunter Zolomon is indeed Zoom. The Jay Garrick that was a part of Team Flash on Earth-1 needed the speedforce to stay alive. Zoom was after Barry’s speed as well. According to Fake-Garrick, his grandfather fought in the War of the Americas on Earth-2. The Masked Man used a POW tap code to communicate. Now, onto the theories…

Twin Theory – This theory is straight out of a telenovela. It goes a little something like this: On Earth-1, there are a set of Jay Garrick twins. One, of course, is Jay Garrick, and the other is Hunter Zolomon. These set of twins also exist on Earth-2. Bear with me, but this theory suggests that Earth-2 Hunter Zolomon is Zoom. Earth-2 Jay Garrick is currently the man in the mask. Earth-1 Jay Garrick is the one seen on the bench seen a couple of weeks back and Earth-1 Zolomon is MIA.

All of this coincides with the fact that Earth-2 Zolomon has been parading around as Earth-2 Jay Garrick to trick Team Flash on Earth-1.

Shape-Shifting Tech – Last season, we witnessed Eobard Thawne use a piece of technology on Earth-1 Harrison Wells that allowed him to steal his appearance in order to speed up the creation of the particle accelerator. Is it possible that Zolomon used this piece of tech on Earth-2 Jay Garrick in order to trick Team Flash into trusting him? In this theory, the real Jay Garrick is still the one in the mask.

Clones – A common motif in cloning stories is that the clone itself suffers from some sort of degenerative ailment. The Jay Garrick we thought we knew was dying. He needed speed to stay alive. Is it possible Zolomon cloned Jay Garrick, making the clone version of Garrick incompetent in the process? Cloning is not out of the realm of DC and in Arrow, we did see a clue to Cadmus’ existence. As a mentor, Garrick didn’t do much for Barry. He also conveniently lost his speed. Zoom rushed to phase his arm through the breach, hoping to kill either Wells or Barry, but instead killed Garrick. This was obviously not Zoom’s plan.

Rival – Still with me? Great. Rival’s alias is Edward Clariss. In the comics, Clariss was obsessed with Garrick and his speed. When he believed he recreated the formula that gave Garrick his speed, he was rejected by everyone around him. Clariss fell to a dark place and became a criminal with the help of his formula.

This formula granted Clariss speedster-like powers, but only for a time. Sound familiar?

Infinite Earths – For the simple minded, the events can be explained as so: Hunter Zolomon is on Earth-1 and has no powers. Jay Garrick is The Flash of Earth-2. Hunter Zolomon is Zoom, and Garrick of Earth-3. The Masked Man is Jay Garrick of Earth-4. Yes, it’s a bit of stretch, but so have most of the theories that have been published here.

The Masked Man

We have to wait a full three weeks before The Flash returns. I briefly mentioned this above, but I wanted to expand on it a bit more before leaving you all. If Zolomon has been parading around as Garrick in Earth-1, then he would have to earn the trust of Team Flash. One such way, aside from filling in the mentor role for Barry and love-interest for Caitlin, is to fill in backstory with details. These details can range from the important ones, such as the story he told Team Flash of when he fought Zoom just before arriving on Earth-1, to minute details like the origins of his helmet.

If you remember way back, what we presume to be Fake-Garrick mentioned that his helmet belonged to his grandfather who fought in The War of the Americas. I am convinced that The War of the Americas was a real event on Earth-2, however, I don’t think Garrick’s grandfather fought in it. In the comics, Garrick is often portrayed as an older, more experienced Flash. I believe we haven’t seen the real Jay Garrick’s face yet because it’s behind the mask. If Garrick fought in the war, then it makes total sense that the Masked Man used a POW tap code in an effort to communicate with Barry and Jesse. It also makes sense that the code was used to spell out “Jay Garrick.” When Barry reacted by telling him that he had been working with Jay Garrick all along, the Masked Man looked extremely distraught and angered. I think this is because the Masked Man was trying to tell Barry his name, and not the name of Zoom.

https://youtu.be/ZXamlee0H1I

Overall, I strongly believe we’re due to see the real Jay Garrick soon. It’s going to be fun seeing just how they explain this in the coming episodes.

Did I miss anything? Have something to add? Don’t be afraid to comment! See you in three weeks!

Catch our recaps of last week’s episodes of The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ – Fail Safe

by jake108February 19, 2016

Note: Check our recaps of The Flash, Arrow, and last week’s Legends of Tomorrow!

It seems with every week, this show ramps up the action, special effects, drama. ‘Fail Safe’ did not disappoint. It what was touted to be the second biggest prison break for both Captain Cold and Heat Wave, we were also treated the reconciliation between Jackson and Stein which will most definitely lead to a stronger bond between the two. Let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Team Building in a Gulag

Palmer finally got through to Mick, even if Mick didn’t react to Palmer’s good deeds until the tail end of the episode. While this episode was a continuation of last week’s adventure, a number of steps were taken by all team members in developing as characters. Palmer, however, developed the least, but had the most impact on changing the way Heat Wave thinks regarding the rest of the team. Cold has showed he has a heart and cares for others, aside from Mick, but Mick was the last one that had limited his caring to his gun and Cold. Palmer took a couple of beatings, one for Mick, and this lead to us seeing another side of Mick we had not yet seen.

Jackson and Stein came to a mutual understanding this episode. We also saw Stein overpower Valentina and stop her from using Firestorm powers on Jackson. This was mostly surprising because we’re just coming off a couple of weeks in Earth-2 in which Cisco encountered Deathstorm in The Flash. Cisco asks about Stein, and Ronnie remarks that he hasn’t heard Stein’s voice in a long time. Turns out, all Stein really needed was some words of encouragement.

Sara Lance

Sara was asked to kill Stien, if rescuing him became impossible. Cold repeatedly tried to convince her that she did not have to rush and pull the trigger on Stien. The resolution came when Cold told Sara that she “wasn’t that person anymore.” Sara is on a path to discovering herself yet again. Throughout her life, she has been subjected to what others have been telling her in regards to her purpose. In the first part of her life, she was Laurel’s little sister, and Oliver’s secret lover. Having had the experience on Lian-Yu, she was then brought into the League of Assassin’s by Nyssa Al Ghul.

After spending years as a killer, and an assassin on the run, Sara died. Her being brought back to life via the Lazarus Pit had its setbacks, namely the bloodlust, but the resurrection was more about her physical self living again. Now, while traveling through time, Sara is resurrecting who she is on the inside and coming into her own. Doing this is allowing her to combat her bloodlust through sheer will. Time will tell if she grows ill eventually like Thea did in the last couple of weeks of Arrow.

Star City 2046

With something this big, it’s hard not to look ahead. The rubble that is Star City appears to be caused by Savage and his forces, should the Legends fail. It’s likely that the Arrow we saw at the end of the episode was either Oliver’s son, Connor Hawke, or yet another sidekick that has yet to be seen.

As we know, Oliver has one son right now, William, but William doesn’t fit the description of the Connor Hawke found in the comics.

Another thing worth pointing out is the “Smoak” building, which seems to suggest Felicity had a rewarding career in taking over Palmer tech and Queen Consolidated. It could also mean that Felicity stepped away from Team Arrow and formed her own company.

Next week is shaping up to be a fan-favorite episode. I know I’m looking forward to it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEgd6_92etw

That’s all for this week! As always, thanks for reading!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Arrow’ – Code of Silence

by jake108February 18, 2016

Note: Check out our recaps of The Flash and last week’s Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow!

Arrow continues its upswing this week with another solid episode in “Code of Silence.” The show is shaping up to have a pretty large payoff between Damien Darhk and Oliver Queen in the battle for Star City. While the show’s producers and the general public have formed a concusses that this season will be a little lighter than previous ones, I’m thinking it may be one of the darhkest. Let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Lance

An attempt was made on Captain Lance’s life at the start of the episode by a new team employed by Darhk himself. This Demolition Team’s sole purpose is to go around Star City, strategically place timed bombs, and trap targets inside a crumbling building. It’s a little excessive, sure, but they did give Team Arrow a run for their money and maybe a collapsed lung or two when Diggle took that sledgehammer to the chest.

After the first attempt, Lance went into hiding in Team Arrow’s lair, fearing for his life. In an effort to secure Donna’s (Felicity’s Mom) safety, he hid the truth from her and put some distance between himself and her. By the end of the episode, they had reconciled and everything was okay again once Lance told her the whole truth. And with that, Donna has taken yet another step into this dangerous world of Darhk vs. Queen.

Demolition Team

The team had a brief stint in the comics as hired villains. Nothing is really known about how the team got together or their individual histories, but one thing is for certain: Most of them were killed by OMAC’s (Cyborgs created by Brainiac that take over human bodies) during the Infinite Crisis.

In the show, it looks like they’ll be spending lots of time in Iron Heights.

Diggle and Lyla

Is it me, or has Diggle been a little mean lately? He’s probably not getting enough sleep due to baby duty, oh and because Lyla is now the head of A.R.G.U.S. With Waller’s death, Lyla has stepped up in what will most definitely be a reoccurring asset to Team Arrow and Flash.

While I am still bummed about the death of Waller, I hope Lyla is written well enough to show a different A.R.G.U.S. under her leadership.

Damien Darhk

At the start of the episode, Darhk and the committee that he sorta(?) answers to is about to begin Phase 4. What’s important to recognize here is that Merlyn has dropped by to join Darhk’s campaign. Last week, I was overjoyed at the notion of Merlyn becoming full-time villain again. Looks like we didn’t have to wait long.

After Darhk’s wife loss the debate by a landslide, the office is likely going to go to Oliver Queen. However, my first thought at the notion of a debate was that Darhk’s wife would suddenly bring up William, Oliver’s son. Looks like Darhk is playing this one close to the chest as it is revealed that he already has William in his possession. Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if William is used publicly as leverage, but Darhk has the potential to be even more sinister.

As of right now, the only people that know about William are Barry, Thea, Darhk, and Merlyn. It’s easy to jump to conclusions as to who’s in the grave, but I maintain the theory I’ve had for more than a few weeks.

Who’s in the Grave?!

William seems like the likely candidate. The second most-likely candidate is William’s mom, Samantha. We don’t know exactly what happened to her when Darhk obtained William, but it probably wasn’t good. Leaving her alive would leave yet another loose end open, but Darhk has struggling to kill Lance for a couple of months now, so she might actually be fine. I think William’s identity will be revealed to the whole team. Felicity will be hurt, at first, because Oliver did so much to hide it. Felicity’s mom, Donna, will probably react the same way because of her history with Felicity’s father. However, now that she see’s the side of lying for your own protection, she may come to terms with it rather quickly as well, and love William as her own grandson.

This love, as it has been displayed numerous times this season and season’s past, has the potential to put herself in danger if it means saving the loved one. This was foreshadowed in this week’s episode when Donna was ready to head back into the building to help Oliver clear it of innocent civilians during the bomb scare. With that, I maintain that Donna sacrifices her life, possibly for William, and ends up in the grave by the end of the season. William, whether her mom is alive or not, will probably have to go under a different alias from here on out. That name will probably be Connor Hawke.

Aside from all that, Mr. Terrific developed a piece of technology that can be implanted into Felicity’s spine, enabling her to walk again. This also follows the notion that the show is afraid of making drastic changes to its main cast, meaning Team Arrow is essentially safe and won’t be in any real danger this season. We already saw this with Thea, Felicity, and the rest of Team Arrow as they were trapped in the gas chamber earlier this season. In order to figure out who’s in the grave, we’ll have to really hone in on minor characters, such as Donna and William.

That’s all for this week! As always, thanks for reading!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxPY40aFqgc

Geekscape Recaps: “The Flash” – Escape From Earth-2

by jake108February 17, 2016

Note: Catch our recaps of last week’s episodes of The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow!

Last night, we got the second part of a two-part event revolving around a trip to Earth-2. While this episode didn’t have nearly as many easter eggs as last week, we got unbearably close to learning Zoom’s identity. Let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Earth-2

After Barry was captured and put in a cell near Jesse Quick and the masked man, efforts on behalf of Wells, Iris, and Cisco began immediately. With the help of Earth-2 Barry, the gang was able to locate Killer Frost and sorta convinced her to lead them to Zoom’s lair. I say “sorta” because later on, it was revealed that Frost had intended to bring Wells and co to Zoom’s lair all along. However, she double-crossed Zoom and froze him long enough for the group to get back to Star Labs and travel across the last breach.

Before the breach was fully closed, Zoom’s arm came out, phasing through Jay Garrick’s chest and taking the body back into Earth-2. We can assume that Killer Frost eventually ran out of juice and is now dead. We can also assume that Garrick is now also dead. That leaves Wells and Jesse Quick having to start new lives on Earth 1.

As for Earth-2 Barry and Iris, they plan on joining Barry’s parents in Atlantis in an effort to hide from Zoom. While Iris is probably the most competent officer in Earth-2’s CCPD, having lost her father and surviving multiple encounters with Zoom himself, she deserves some time off. If anywhere on Earth-2 is safe, it’s probably Atlantis. This is especially true if we are to assume Atlantis is under Aquaman’s protection.

In any case, it’s unfortunate that the Justice Society of America, which would be Earth-2’s version of the Justice League, has not formed yet. And if they have, I’m sure they won’t be too happy with the death of Jay Garrick.

Velocity-9 and Jesse Quick

For a while now, we’ve been constantly getting teased with the eventual appearance of Jesse Quick. It is with great hope that we also see her father, Johnny Quick, suit up as a speedster too. In the show, obviously Johnny Quick would come in the form of Wells. I’m still holding out for a Johnny and Jesse Quick, Flash, and Kid Flash vs Zoom showdown.

Velocity-9 and the next iterations may be the key for the Quick family getting their speedster-like powers. Only time will tell.

Zoom

Now we get to the most important aspect of last night’s episode: Who is Zoom? We have multiple candidates, and quite honestly, this show has me guessing still. When it’s all said and done, I’ll look back at this season fondly having known that the creative team behind this show did a great job keeping Zoom’s identity under wraps. Let’s go through the list:

Jay Garrick was my very first suspect in trying to guess Zoom’s identity. However, I think it makes more sense if we’ve actually been watching Hunter Zolomon parading around as Garrick this whole time. Last season, The Reverse-Flash introduced the notion of a speed mirage in which a speedster was able to appear in two places at the same time. Since Zoom is undeniably faster, an advanced speed mirage could be the answer as to why Jay Garrick interacted with Team Flash even while Zoom was on the playing field.

Garrick’s supposed death could also have easily been the product of a speed mirage as well. Pretty easy to disguise after pulling the body back in through the breach.

Eddie Thawne is another suspect as to who Zoom could be. We haven’t seen Eddie alive since the season one finale in which Eddie shot himself to prevent the Reverse-Flash from ever being born. His body was then sucked up into the singularity caused by Eddie’s action. It’s important to note that the singularity was blue, like Zoom, and was then lost. Zoom’s hatred for heroes falls in line with Eddie’s frame of mind. After shooting himself, Eddie told Iris something along the lines of wanting to be a hero in her eyes. After being mentally tortured by the Reverse-Flash, his relationship with Barry grew sour, knowing that he could never match Barry’s heroism because he didn’t have powers.

Now, having obtained powers similar to Barry’s, it’s possible Eddie wants to do away with Flash for good. Zoom constant uses phrases like “Heroes die” and “I am the fastest man alive.” The latter is something Barry is known for on Earth 1 and is even referred to as such by a number of people.

Henry Allen is another suspect among fans. While I don’t think Earth-1 Henry Allen has a shot at being Zoom, I do believe Earth-2 Henry Allen should be up for consideration. We haven’t seen him in Earth-2 yet, but are lead to believe that he is currently vacationing with Barry’s mom in Atlantis.

The Masked Man

There are many guesses as to who is trapped in the cell. From the looks of the hair though, I would have to guess it’s either Eddie Thawne or the real Jay Garrick. From last night’s episode, we gathered that the prisoner spelled out the name “JAY” using a complex POW pattern system. This is interesting because none of the character’s have been affiliated with any type of war. However, Jay Garrick knowing this pattern makes the most sense.

Early on in the season, Garrick made an off-handed comment about his helmet having once belonged to his grandfather as he served in the War of the Americas. If Zolomon was posing as Garrick, it would make sense that Zolomon would drop this little tidbit in an effort to provide backstory to his own persona in an effort to get Team Flash to trust him.

That’s all for this week! As always, thanks for reading!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ – White Knights

by jake108February 11, 2016

Note: Check out our recaps of this week’s episodes of The Flash, Arrow, and last week’s Legends of Tomorrow!

Legends of Tomorrow continues to ramp up the action and adventure with another episode this week. Along with some great one-liners, we were also treated to the return of Chronos, an appearance by a time master, and a very charming Captain Cold. Let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

The episode begins with the team traveling to Washington in 1986 to steal some documents detailing the whereabouts of Vandal Savage. After a mission inside the Pentagon, the team was able to acquire said documents, which then lead them to Soviet Russia.

After ingesting translators, the team was able to go down to the USSR and go incognito long enough to steal a key card that would lead to a secret Soviet lab. In that lab, Stein found that Savage, using the USSR, was trying to create their own version of a Firestorm.

The team is eventually split up in yet another mismanaged mission spearheaded by Rip Hunter. Next week, however, we’re getting an episode in which Captain Cold and company must rescue his friend, Mick, from a impenetrable Russian Gulag. Truly, this will be the ultimate prison break.

Kendra and Sara

Early on in the episode, Kendra kinda lost her cool at the Pentagon. She went into a full berserk mode and started clawing eyes out left and right. It took Firestorm to subdue her by flying her out of the mission area. After that episode, Rip tasked Sara to try and coach her up on controlling her rage.

Their first practice didn’t go as planned and Sara’s bloodlust started to show. This spooked Sara, which caused Kendra to speak to Rip about the ordeal. Rip then suggested that his original idea was for them to help each other with their inner-demons. It makes sense, and by the end of this season, it would be nice if Sara was able to have a handle on her bloodlust enough to be able to let it out at her will, instead of it taking over entirely. While we know there is a cure for her bloodlust, something we found out last night on Arrow, I can see Sara not wanting to change anything about herself when it’s all said and done.

Chronos

The time-traveling bounty hunter was at it again this episode. Rip was able to dodge Chronos’ first attempt at capturing Rip and his team. After being shot down by Russian jets, Chronos probably crash landed in a forest not too far from where Rip made his crash landing. It can be assumed that Chronos’ ship was heavily damaged and called for aid.

The back up showed up in the from of a Time Master, who journeyed from the Vanishing Point. They offered Rip a way out, but ultimately they planned to betray him all along. This instance solidifies that the Time Masters will not listen to Rip’s reasoning and solely care about keeping the timeline intact.

Firestorm

The Firestorm drama showed up in a big way tonight. Along with coming to terms with being kidnapped and forced to embark on this mission, Jax made it evident that he was angry with Stein, which lead to numerous instances in which Jax would not take Stein’s advice. After their heavy argument, Stein confessed to Ray Palmer that he could not bear to lose another Firestorm partner.

Ronnie Raymond, the first Firestorm, died last season in The Flash when he scarified himself to close a vortex, saving Central City and the world. After that, Stein realized that it was his partners who were continually putting themsleves in harms way. In an effort to keep them safe, Stein does the only thing he knows how to do and lectures Jax before, during, and after missions. However, this time was different in that Stein was purposely mean to Jax in order to get a point across.

All of this culminated in Stein sacrificing himself to complete the mission in the USSR secret lab. Upon discovering that the Soviets planned on creating their own Firestorm, Stein risked his life scuttling the Soviet’s tools. His effort resulted in getting captured, along with Heat Wave and Ray Palmer.

Before we leave on this, it’s entirely possible we will see the Soviet’s version of Firestorm in the form of Svarozhich. Svarozhich was a character in the comics, one that fought Firestorm briefly before being absorbed by him entirely. Svarozhich was a soulless clone created by the USSR to wreak havoc on their foes. Eventually, Svarozhich would cease to exist, but his powers were used for good.

USSR 1986

Take this with a grain of salt, but one of the tie-in’s between the show and our history comes in the form of an event that actually happened in January 1986. Dubbed “Height 611 UFO Incident,” this event came in the form of UFO crash in near some mountains. Sound familiar?

That’s all for this week! Did I miss something? Don’t be afraid to comment! As always, thanks for reading!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Arrow’ – Sins of the Father

by jake108February 10, 2016

Note: Check out last week’s recaps of Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and last night’s episode of The Flash!

Fortunately for us, Arrow seems to be on an upswing. While Star City seems to be in chaos at all times, Oliver and Team Arrow devised a way to solve and prevent and full on League of Assassins Civil War. Let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

League of Assassins

The episode starts off rather quickly. This is something that is to be appreciated since this League business will not be drawn out over the course of two or three episodes. Nyssa tries, at first, to get Oliver to do her bidding. In her perspective, Oliver must appease her because technicially, in the League’s eyes, they are husband and wife. For the remaineder of the episode, Nyssa awkwardly referred to Oliver as “husband.”

Nyssa, armed with League loyalists, threatens to set Star City as the stage for their Civil War, should Merlyn not step down. This happens for what seems a couple of nights. Their war began for a couple of reasons, but mainly because Merlyn was not comfortable giving Nyssa the power that comes with controlling the League of Assassins. At first, Merlyn had the very good point of questioning where this Lotus elixir came from in the first place. This, unfortunately, was never answered. Katana was missing in action as well after seemingly giving up the Lotus freely to Nyssa.

The dispute ends when Oliver takes up the fight, in Nyssa’s place, and defeats Merlyn, Nyssa becomes Ra’s Al Ghul for a night before disbanding the League entirely. And so, after losing his title, along with his hand, Merlyn has become a full-on villain again.

This is great for the show in many ways and I hope Merlyn continues to scheme in the shadows until next season. For now, he’s told Damien Darhk about Oliver’s biggest secret: William.

Who’s in the Grave?!

The theory of the week would suggest that it’s Oliver’s son, William. When William was introduced into Arrow, I honestly thought he wouldn’t resurface until a little ways down the road. Well, it looks like William is going to need more than his Flash action figure in order to stay safe from Darhk’s assault.

Of course, Oliver probably won’t know until it’s too late. Still, I don’t think William is in the grave. If anything, he might escape and be forced to change his name, along with his mother. The new alias? Connor Hawke.

Calculator

The side plot this episode dealt with Felicity’s daddy issues. Some interesting tidbits dropped this episode. First, it was revelaed that Felicity’s father has been gone for eighteen years. During that time, it’s assumed that the Calculator was a criminal for hire. He would routinely do hacks for money. Some of these hacks were documented by him and put onto a USB drive. In an effort to get Felicity to trust him, he gave her some of the jobs he did.

However, by the end of the episode, Felicity found that her father had not really changed and got Star City Police to arrest him. I’m sure this earned a seal of approval from Felicity’s mom, who also told Felicity how he left her with no money and no job.

Calculator will be going away, but I doubt it will be for long. Earlier this episode, Calculator did mention that he was hired to do the job he did last week. His employer is probably in a high position of power and may even be Damien Darhk. Regardless, Calculator won’t be in prison for long.

Geekscape Recaps: ‘The Flash’ – Welcome to Earth-2

by jake108February 9, 2016

Note: Check out last week’s recaps of The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow!

Wow. I’m pretty sure I’ve said it before, but I’ll have to revise any past statement made regarding the best episode of this series because tonight’s episode is definitely the best this show has ever seen. There is so much here to unpack, and we’ll get though all of it together. I promise. Hold me…

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

We all knew Earth-2 would be arriving this week, but what we didn’t know is that we would have an introduction to the infinite earths. I joke about it a lot, and up until now, we’ve only had two earths confirmed. After tonight, it’s safe to say DC’s Infinite Earth’s has shown up in a big way. First, let’s take a look at what Garrick described as “Everything.”

Green Arrow

There’s a chance we’ll never see this version of the Green Arrow, but I doubt that. With the way DCTV is going, I’m sure we’ll see this Green Arrow someway or somehow. However, there are some important things to recognize here. First, that doesn’t look a whole like Oliver. I’ve previously written about Oliver’s son, Connor Hawke, taking up the mantle of the Green Arrow. Here, that looks to be the case.

The metallic looking arm also looks a tad bit interesting. For all we know, this could be Oliver Queen, just at a future date.

Earth _ Flash

Back in the 90’s, DC had another Flash tv show that had good run. I’ve also previously written about this show before and it tying into The Flash we know today. Up until now, the only thing linking the two shows was the Trickster.

What’s key here is the fact that in the 90’s television show, The Flash was played by the same actor playing Barry’s dad now in The Flash. Could we see his dad suit up one more time from another Earth to take on Zoom? We can dream.

Supergirl

It was recently announced that The Flash and Supergirl would have a crossover next month, leaving many to speculate just how they would connect the two shows. Well, it looks like we have our answer.

Supergirl is indeed taking place on another Earth, but is still connected to the Infinite Earths in the DC Universe. That just makes the crossover that much more exciting.

Grodd

Grodd is currently being groomed to become an extremely formidable foe in the future. Here, it looks like Grodd has come into his own, and has embraced his position in Gorilla City.

Jonah Hex

Legends of Tomorrow will be heading to the wild west at some point this season. Hex’s ‘Wanted’ poster hangs in Rip Hunter’s ship as well. Before we see any of that though, it appears we’ve been treated to a glimpse at what’s to come.

The Legion of Super Heroes

This was perhaps the biggest reveal this episode. Previous to this, there has been no mention of the Legion of Super Heroes. For those unfamiliar with them, the Legion of Super Heroes is comprised of young adults aiming to fight injustice and criminal activity on a galactic scale. Each member is given a ring that allows the wearer to fly, fly though an atmosphere, and fly in outer-space.

Currently, the only non-member that uses the ring is, of course, Booster Gold. In the comics, Rip Hunter’s father is also Booster Gold. There has been no announcement of an appearance to be made by Gold, but may be one is incoming. After all, the Legends of Tomorrow can very well visit the 30th century, which is where the Legion of Super Heroes reside.

Infinite Earths

Lastly, I wanted to point out the bubbles seen while Barry, Cisco, and Harry are traveling to Earth 2. First off, those aren’t bubbles; They’re all individual Earths.

You should also notice that each Earth is connected, meaning that everything and everyone in this universe is also connected.

Earth 2

When the gang shows up to Earth 2, they immediately notice the differences between the two Earths. Everything from people’s clothes, the cars they drive, the architecture, and even professions belonging to Earth 1 dopplegangers are wildly different. For example, Floyd Lawton, who previously died on Arrow as Deadshot, made an appearance in Earth 2 as Detective Iris West’s partner. We found this out while the criminal David Singh, who is the police captain in Earth 1, was being processed at CCPD. Another significant change was Joe West’s profession as a Jazz musician, something that suits him a little too well.

However, if there’s one thing I’m really excited about, it’s Mayor Snart. I know I have no place to ask more of this show, but I would be eternally grateful if we could see Mayor Leonard Snart standing toe-to-toe with Zoom.

Barry and Iris eventually go to their Earth 2 home, where Barry gets a good look at where his doppleganger resides. In an emotional twist, Iris informs Barry that his mother called. Barry heads to the phone and we also get a look at some of most dialed numbers in the Allen residence.

While those are indeed Leaguers, it’s impossible to say for certain that each of them live up to their alter-egos. And while we’re on that subject, did anyone notice that the Not-Justice-League mural was missing from the Earth 2 Central City Police Station?

Through Barry’s conversation with his mother, we also learned that civilian travel to Atlantis is indeed a thing. We’ve known about Atlantis for a while now because Jay Garrick already dropped that bomb a few episodes back, referencing that he has a bestie from Atlantis.

Deathstorm and Killer Frost

Ronnie Raymond returned, only not in a good way. Deathstorm, from Earth 2, aides Killer Frost in trying to find the “breacher” in Earth 2. After a couple of bouts with Barry, we quickly learn that Deathstorm is just as powerful as his Firestorm counterpart. What’s even more troubling is that we also learned the whereabouts of Martin Stein. According to Deathstorm, he hasn’t heard Stein’s voice in quite some time. This could mean that either Ronnie has learned to suppress Stein’s control entirely, or Stein died while trapped in Ronnie’s body. Either way, Earth 2 Ronnie wasn’t a nice guy.

Killer Frost was the only villain not to be killed by Zoom in Earth 2. While she did play a good villain, Frost is extremely afraid of Zoom. She eventually escaped after Zoom left with Barry. Since Zoom was quick to kill Deathstorm, it’s entirely possible Iris and Harry convince Frost to tell them the whereabouts of Zoom and his prisoners.

Reverb and Vibe

Cisco met his doppleganger in Earth 2, and had some surprising results. Aside from Reverb being able to harness more power, Cisco was able to see what he could become.

During the meeting, Reverb displayed some powers I’m sure Cisco wouldn’t mind using. Unfortunately, Reverb tried to take control from Zoom and paid the price in doing so.

Earth 2 Prison

The episode ends with Barry being trapped in Zoom’s prison. Barry wakes up to the sound of tapping on glass. This is coming from the adjacent cell next to Barry. It’s clear that whoever that is, their tapping is in morse code.

If you’re wondering what this mysterious figure is saying, I’ll save you the trouble. The tapping translates to “Zoom is – ” The messenger is of course cut of by the arrival of Zoom. However, next week, this prisoner will will have a key role in revealing more about who or what Zoom is. It’s also entirely possible that this prisoner is a speedster himself. It would make sense that any other speedsters Zoom catches would be imprisoned here for a time while Zoom drains them of the speedforce. The mask is also very peculiar. We’re just going to have to wait and see, but if I had to guess, it’s someone we know under that mask.

Earth 1

Back on Earth 1, Adam Fells, a meta-human that has the ability to cause earthquakes, demands to fight The Flash. With Barry gone, Garrick must fill the void and become The Flash on Earth 1. The only problem is, Garrick doesn’t have his speed. Garrick finally levels with Caitlin and basically confesses that he became a velocity 6 addict on his Earth. Now, this is interesting because Garrick has maintained the story that Zoom stole his speed where in fact it was velocity 6 the whole time. On top of that, the effects of velocity 6 have been slowly killing Garrick as well. This change in story is a little suspicious, considering the possibility Garrick can be Zoom.

Regardless, Garrick decides to hit the velocity serum again and fights Geomancer. The speedforce effects wear off, leaving Garrick vulnerable. Joe ends up saving him and Geomancer runs off to fight another day.

That’s all for this week! Did I miss something? Don’t be afraid to comment below! As always, thanks for reading!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ – Blood Ties

by jake108February 4, 2016

Note: Catch our recaps of The Flash, Arrow, and last week’s Legends of Tomorrow!

Another week, another Legends of Tomorrow adventure. With every episode, we’re starting to see more and more just how much potential this show has within the DC TV lore. Perhaps what’s most surprising is that we’re seeing some resolutions to to storylines that were started in each character’s respective show. Of course, I’m talking about Atom, Captain Cold, and White Canary. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

White Canary

Much like what we’re seeing in Arrow, Sara Lance is really feeling the effects from being healed by the Lazarus Pit. While some may feel this story arc is a bit recycled, I’d argue that we’re getting another side to the problem altogether. For example, Thea doesn’t want to kill to feed the bloodlust. This stance is supported by Oliver, but not by Merlyn.

Here in Legends, Sara is feeding her bloodlust, but is struggling to get it under control. This becomes concerning to Rip Hunter, who personally witnesses it. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes as Sara and Rip look for some sort of cure while traveling through time, all while Oliver and Team Arrow try to find solutions that involve Darhk.

Atom

Ray Palmer had some confidence issues this week and was aided by Martin Stein. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve kept hearing this banter between Stein and Palmer regarding Palmer’s tenure at Ivy College (I assume). While Stein always seems to come off arrogant, he does always find the right time to step in and say the right things. This was the case again, causing Palmer to realize his potential and save Kendra’s life.

Palmer’s confidence issues stemmed from losing his fiancé, something we first learned about in Arrow during Deathstroke’s terrifying siege of Starling City. It’s pretty awesome to see all these different arcs coming together in one show.

Captain Cold

Snart tried to rewrite history this week, and failed. This was a key component to loosely establish a set of rules for the timeline. In this episode, Snart stole an emerald and gave it to his father in an effort to prevent his father from ever going to prison and becoming a bad father.

What Snart learned was that time always has a way of course-correcting itself. While the timeline is indeed fragile, minimal attempts to change the timeline may end up having the same result in the long run. In Snart’s case, even though his father wasn’t arrested for trying to steal the emerald, he was eventually arrested for trying to sell it to an undercover cop. The end result remained the same: Snart’s father went to prison for five years.

Rip Hunter

One of the big reveals this episode was the fact that Hunter made an attempt at Savage’s life while he was still in Egypt. Hunter’s failure, due to hesitation, was telling of his character. Hunter personally feels guilty for not taking Savage’s life so long ago, even though it wouldn’t have made a difference. And with that, we have a more complete answer as to why he’s surrounded himself with people to help him kill Savage.

Another reveal that is gaining traction was one of the lines spoken by Hunter. In it, he claims he’s seen “Men of Steel die and Dark Knight’s fall.” This is an obvious reference to both Batman and Superman, though he doesn’t clearly state that Savage was responsible for both of their deaths. However, we’ve seen the state of the world from where Rip Hunter comes from, and it doesn’t look like there’s any Batman or Superman left defending the Earth.

That’s all for this week! As always, thanks for reading! See you all next week!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Arrow’ – Unchained

by jake108February 3, 2016

Note: Check out our recaps of The Flash, and last week’s Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow!

Well, it looks like we’re in for a roller coaster of a season. Last week, I wasn’t shy by expressing my disappointment in where the show was going and how the show’s characters were being treated. This week, however, we were treated to a pretty good episode. We had multiple appearances by prominent DC characters and yet another candidate for our “Who’s in the grave?!” segment. So let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

This episode moved steadily along. While I felt the flashback scenes were a little dull and frankly tiresome, the plot and subplots happening in the present day was welcomed with open arms. First, we’ll start with Felicity’s dad.

The Calculator

We knew it was coming. Even if you caught on right before Felicity muttered, “Dad,” the reveal was still pretty great. In the comics, Calculator is pretty evil. In his first go at being a super-villain, he would travel the country, fighting any hero he came across. Whenever he lost, he would have his suit analyze whatever hero was fighting him and would then return to engage in another fight. This time, because of his suit, he was able to win. In doing so, he was able to take down the likes of Atom, Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Elongated Man. Eventually, he was caught and was forced to serve nine life sentences. However, he didn’t stay behind bars for long.

Calculator eventually caught on to the fact that heroes were talking into an earpiece whenever they were out on the field. After investigating, he found that these heroes were talking to Oracle. This inspired Calculator to become an “Oracle” of sorts, only for super-villains instead. In this sense, he became Oracle’s greatest enemy. With his genius-level intellect, Calculator was able to recruit, hire, and even work with a variety of super-villains. This lead to a membership in The Society of Super-Villains, where he also recruited the likes of Mr. Freeze.

Calculator is very much a Gotham villain, but it’s not the first time we’ve seen a case like this on Arrow. Also in the comics, Calculator does indeed have a daughter. Wendy is a graduate of MIT. Afterward, she got a job working at Titans Tower. There, she helped rebuild Cyborg. After an attack by Wonderdog, Wendy was sent into a coma. She eventually recovered, but was paralyzed from the waist down. Currently, Wendy works under the name Proxy. In this sense, Proxy closely resembles Felicity.

Cadmus

During Calculator’s attack, the “internet nuke” was planted physically on a console. Before Roy destroyed it, we got a good look at some of the parts labeling.

It’s unclear if one of these parts was stolen from Cadmus, or if Cadmus is working with the Calculator in some way. In any case, an appearance by Cadmus is huge. In the comics and various DC storylines, Cadmus is responsible for genetic cloning, most notably Superman. Cadmus is directly responsible in creating Superboy and Golden Guardian, while also being responsible for the death of Ted Kord, aka Blue Beetle. In the Justice League cartoons, it was also revealed that Terry McGinnis, aka Batman Beyond, was also in part created by Cadmus to ensure that Batman would live on past Bruce Wayne. It’s also important to note that Amanda Waller has been involved with Cadmus in some sense. With any luck, maybe it was Waller’s clone that was killed last week. Wishful thinking, I suppose. Still, the fact that Cadmus exists in the Arrowverse is really exciting. I would expect to hear from them in the future.

Lotus

One of the subplots this episode involved Nyssa running around looking for something called the Lotus. By the end of the episode, we found out that Lotus is in fact a counter-agent to the Lazarus Pit, developed by the League’s enemies. These enemies, I presume, currently back Nyssa. After all, she informed her colleauge that should she not retrieve the Lotus, to “tell the others that the war is over.” It was also really cool to see Katana guarding what we presume to be Lotus in Japan. I honestly thought Katana was gonna go the way of Waller and get unnecessarily killed off to make room for her theatrical counterpart. Luckily, that wasn’t the case.

Nyssa claims that it can cure Thea, who is slowly dying, but only if Ollie kills Merlyn. Once again, Oliver is faced with a difficult decision. If only Sara Lance could take a break from time traveling and let Nyssa know she’s been demon free since 2015.

Mr. Terrific T-Sphere

It was awesome to see Curtis attempt to hold his own against Arsenal. In the fight, he threw his prototype T-Sphere. While it did backfire, the fact that it works to some extent is reason to be excited. Here’s to hoping he has a more stable sphere by the end of this season!

Oliver’s Son

During this episode, we heard Oliver remark on how going back and forth between Star City and Central City has been one of the many distractions causing him to lose focus on Thea. While this could just be a remark on the crossover event a few weeks ago, I took it as Oliver making reference to his trips visiting his secret son. This was a nice shout-out, and it’s one that will eventually have a large payoff.

Who’s in the Grave?!

Well, add Thea Queen to the list of candidates. Thea is slowly dying because she’s not killing anyone. This week, Oliver set up a meeting with Darhk in hopes of offering a trade to save Thea’s life. It’s hard to gauge exactly what Oliver was willing to trade. I highly doubt he would offer himself has a trade, because that didn’t really work out last time. Instead, I think Oliver was and is willing to give up in the mayoral race for Star City, thus relinquishing his control of the city as Oliver Queen to Darhk’s wife. It’s a risky trade, but one I know Oliver would take.

While Thea is in a coma, I still find it hard to believe that she’s the one in the grave. For now, I’m sticking by the theory that the person in the grave is Felicity’s mom.

That’s all for this week! As always, thanks for reading!