deerstalker

http://nerdist.com/marvels-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-recap-ghost-rider-fights-fire-with-fire/

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! Proceed with caution, agents. If you haven’t yet watched this week’s episode, “Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire”, we highly suggest you do so before proceeding. Okay? We good? Then let’s go.

This week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. furthers the fourth season’s ongoing plots concerning AIDA and the Watchdogs, and it gives Daisy an opportunity to rejoin Coulson and co. for the first time since last year. But make no mistake — most of this is just preamble to the sight of two guys with a lot of attitude and similar pyrokinetic powers unleashing holy hell on one another in a building chock full of explosives. I am more than okay with this.

The politics and strategizing of the last few weeks’ episodes are left aside this time around — as is S.H.I.E.L.D.’s new Inhuman Director and Mack’s on-again, off-again relationship with Yo-Yo. That’s probably for the best. S.H.I.E.L.D. sometimes falters when it dwells too long on any one subplot instead of being the zippy action show it was always meant to be, and its commentary on real-world events is best offered in small doses lest it grow stale and tiresome. We do wind up getting a little romance this week with FitzSimmons and their happy househunting, as well as a little bit of G-rated romantic farce when Simmons finally meets AIDA, whom Fitz has been crushing on, and Fitz believes she’s discovered his feelings towards the AI — only to sigh with relief when it turns out his girlfriend is too preoccupied with admiring AIDA as a feat of engineering to notice her boyfriend’s reaction.

Her feelings are understandable. Mallory Jansen is pretty terrific in the role, which is about as far as possible from her last gig in an ABC show (that of the scheming Queen Madalena in the musical comedy Galavant). Here, her performance recalls Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Data and Star Trek: Voyager‘s Seven of Nine, with a healthy dollop of Ex Machina‘s Ava. Though she’s a bit more naive than her predecessors, she’s a fast learner. So it won’t be long before she grows tired of being cooped up in Radcliffe’s lab, and the rest of the team discover his and Fitz’s ruse. Will AIDA eventually join S.H.I.E.L.D.? If she proves half as good at kicking ass as she is at treating patients, I wouldn’t be at all surprised.

In the bromance department… Coulson and Mack again steal the show, even if they’re operating without Fitz this week. I’ve said it before, but Clark Gregg just seems so much more relaxed and energized with his character once more out in the field. He’s more like the character we first fell in love with back in Iron Man than at any point in this show’s run. We even get to see Coulson in his suit and tie again when he visits Robbie’s uncle in prison, and his demeanor recalls old times to the point where I was half expecting him to call on Tony Stark next. I’d really have no problem if Jason O’Mara’s Mace was made S.H.I.E.L.D.’s director for life. If it means more quips and high-speed chases with Lola, count me in.

Another favorite relationship is renewed this week with Daisy and Jemma. It’s a delight to watch the former’s surprise when she learns her old pal is now the big boss of her division, and as capable as she herself is of tossing out the rule book and going with her gut. (Her marksmanship has also improved.)

Daisy’s relationship with Robbie is also working right now, and that’s something I never said about any of her past love interests. Her relationships with Ward and Lincoln felt much more plot driven than the connection she’s forged with the man inside the Rider. Both of them, it turns out, are shaped by feelings of guilt, revenge, and more than a hint of masochism. Which means the sex, if in fact it eventually happens, should be off the charts.

Yet, again, it’s really the chance to see Robbie light up in a fireworks warehouse than makes “Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire” work so well — and do so as transparently as it does, with Mack pointing out the absurd chances of seeing “two fire dudes dropped into a warehouse full of fireworks.” The treacherous Inhuman James goes down pretty quickly, but Robbie leaves him alive, igniting my hope for a rematch. The Ghost Rider, however, will soon face far bigger threats in the form of the Darkhold’s devotees. We’ve already seen how the book can influence people. Now in all likelihood we’ll get witness the power behind that influence.

agents-of-shield-2

Declassified Deliberations

— “You were always a sucker for a breakfast nook.” In all fairness, who isn’t?!

— “We had to very gently…kill you.” Radcliffe is just way too cocky to be on the same team as May for very long.

— Remember when we thought Lola would be a much bigger thing than she turned out to be? But if sacrificing her flight capability is the price we pay for seeing her more often, then keep that lady grounded. Between Robbie’s Charger and Coulson’s candy-apple red convertible, “Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire” is positively indecent in its car porn.

— There’s a nifty little Easter egg this week in the “Red Skull” rocket that’s advertised on the outside of James’ fireworks store.

— “I get to keep his car, right? Isn’t that how this works?”

What did you think of this week’s episode? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (@JMaCabre).

Featured Image: Marvel/Disney/ABC

Images: Marvel/Disney/ABC

October 19, 2016

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Recap: Ghost Rider Fights Fire with Fire

http://nerdist.com/marvels-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-recap-ghost-rider-fights-fire-with-fire/

agents-of-shield-2

Declassified Deliberations

— “You were always a sucker for a breakfast nook.” In all fairness, who isn’t?!

— “We had to very gently…kill you.” Radcliffe is just way too cocky to be on the same team as May for very long.

— There’s a nifty little Easter egg this week in the “Red Skull” rocket that’s advertised on the outside of James’ fireworks store.

— “I get to keep his car, right? Isn’t that how this works?”

What did you think of this week’s episode? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (@JMaCabre).

Featured Image: Marvel/Disney/ABC

Images: Marvel/Disney/ABC

October 18, 2016

Ash Vs. Evil Dead Recap – Season 2, Episode 203, “Last Call”

http://www.thenerdelement.com/2016/10/16/ash-vs-evil-dead-recap-season-2-episode-203-last-call/

Previously on Ash Vs. Evil Dead: Pablo (Ray Santiago) had a disturbing vision while guarding Ruby (Lucy Lawless), who realized her baby daddy, Baal, is behind her spawn’s attempts to get the Necronomicon. Ash (Bruce Campbell) retrieved the Book from the morgue, suffering great indignity while doing so. Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo), keeping watch at the morgue, knocked out a nosy Sheriff Emery (Stephen Lovatt) while Ash was getting sucked up a Deadite’s butt. Meanwhile, Ash’s dad, Brock (Lee Majors), had a date with one of Ash’s old flames, upsetting Ash and revealing more about the rift between father and son. When Ash and Kelly rushed to rescue Brock, whose date turned out to be a Deadite, two reprobate teens stole the Delta—where Ash had left the Necronomicon in his haste to save his dad.

“Let the great eagle soar.” – Ash

There’s no getting around it: “Last Call” is a heartbreaker of an episode. Ash and Brock finally have a heart-to-heart, resolving years of emotional distance, only to have a possessed Delta tear Ash’s (and the fans’) heart out by splattering Brock’s brains along the street. Ash kneels to the ground in agony. At least Brock never got possessed.

Before that horrifyingly sad scene, though, several things occurred, so let’s get to it.

The episode begins with a montage of old Evil Dead and Army of Darkness clips centered around the Delta. We also get glimpses of Ash lovingly waxing his car, culminating in current-day Ash kissing a photo of it. Ruby wants them to focus on getting the Book back, but Ash is obsessed with retrieving the Delta. The Book is secondary.

The two doofuses who stole the Delta, meanwhile, are parked with three friends by the high school. They’re all going to get high and/or drunk—all except Lacey (Pepi Sonuga), who turns out to be Linda B. and the sheriff’s daughter. Lacey, her boyfriend, and their fifth-wheel friend leave the car so other friends Amber (Olivia Mahood) and Tyler (Taylor Barrett) can get amorous. Amber, thinking Tyler is moving too quickly, stops him and discovers the Necronomicon, from which she reads—because even today, teens will read any old things out loud, even books covered in human skin and written in blood. A Kandarian demon possesses the car, shaking it violently. Amber turns into a Deadite and bites off Tyler’s penis. Cut to the beginning music and title card!

Back at Casa Ashy Slashy, Ruby suits up in her best Pulp Fiction outfit to go after the Necronomicon. Her hair is looking even pinker, too. Ash, still obsessed with the car, tries to think of a plan to find both. He delves into his “Tools Not Drugs” box and pulls out a baggie full of ketamine, which gives him an idea.

Ash takes them to the town bar where Ash’s high-school pal, Chet (Ted Raimi rocking frosted locks), works. Their drink of choice? The Pink Fuck, which contains high-end spirits and a shitload of ketamine. Chet and Ash nag Kelly into trying one; Kelly immediately develops numbness in her mouth and falls straight down a K-hole. Ash and Chet, notably, don’t seem to be too affected by the drink. They decide to host a rager that will bring all the “cool kids” to the bar so Ash can find the jerks who stole the Delta.

“The secret ingredient is groovyness–and a buttload of ketamine!”

Back at the high school, Lacey and friends search for Amber and Tyler. They find blood in the Delta but not the couple. A figure comes stumbling out from behind a randomly parked school bus, so Lacey gets in the Delta to turn on the lights. All are horrified to see a bleeding Tyler staggering toward them. The possessed Delta locks Lacey in and proceeds to murder her friends in creatively disgusting ways. The car even “walks” toward a terrified Tyler before dropping down on him. Ash is not going to be happy when he finds out the demons took over his car, though he may be impressed by its new moves and its ability to shoot flames from its wherever.

At the rager, Pablo tells Kelly he’s terrified of his visions. They’re interrupted by Chet, who comes over to teach them how to deal with their problems—by naming them one by one, followed by a shot for each. Chet fought in Desert Storm, so he’s pretty messed up, which we learn as he names his particular demons: friendly fire, Saudi gold, and a young boy named Anwar. Yeesh. Pablo wishes he were stronger, like Kelly is. This revelation causes Kelly to start drinking straight from the bottle. She’s clearly uncomfortable with Pablo’s description of her impressiveness.

Brock and his friends have shown up at the bar as well, which does not please either Ash, who doesn’t want his old man scaring away the young’uns, or Brock, who has been coming to the bar as a regular for 40 years and doesn’t need his outcast son spreading gloom. Ash becomes stuck in the past whenever Brock is around, causing him to lose focus on his mission of retrieving the Book and his car.

Ash asks Ruby to distract Brock while Ash tries to discover who the thieves are, which ends abruptly after Brock hits on Ruby and she hoists him by his nostrils to get him to stop. Ash and Brock decide to settle their differences like adults—by riding the mechanical bull. Ash manages to last 15 seconds before being thrown, landing perfectly in a bar stool where Chet has readied him a glass of Pink Fuck. Brock goes full machismo when taking off his jacket and striding to the bull. Brock has no problem outlasting Ash, even pulling Amber, who had come to the bar and was flirting with Ash, onto the bull for a wild ride.

Brock, having “won,” taunts Ash with his latest conquest. Ash, saddened that his father is once again taking everything from him, makes Brock say what he really feels—that Ash murdered Cheryl and that Ash is a monster. Having indicated in the first episode that he might have believed Ash’s tale of demons, Brock here rejects the truth and blames all his misery on his son, including the fact that his wife left him. Ash shoots back that his mom left because his dad was a miserable sonofabitch. Brock’s response is to pop a Viagra and take Amber to the bathroom. He’s all class, that one. Amber flashes her Deadite eyes at Pablo and Ash as she walks away.

Meanwhile, Kelly, outside drinking and moping, is approached by Ruby, who has a Plan B in relation to the Necronomicon: Having Kelly assist her in stopping her hell spawn before they get the Book and summon Baal. Kelly, at first wary, decides to help Ruby kill her children.

“You ever thought about having a mom-figure? I’m available.”

Back in the bar, Ash takes the Chet cure for the blues and drowns himself in booze, scored to the tune of Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ “Come On, Eileen.” He knows Amber’s a Deadite, but he’s too busy wallowing in his dad’s rejection to care. Pablo tries to rally Ash to be a hero by reminding him of who he is. “You’re Ash Williams, demon hunter, Deadite slayer, friend, hero, and Jefe,” Pablo tells him. Ash, inspired—and a little messed up on ketamine—heads toward the bathroom.

Brock, about to get laid, tells Amber she’s better at sexy times than “his dead wife.” Presumably, he means Ash’s mom. Amber reveals her Kandarian nature right before Ash chainsaws her through the torso; they fight as a terrified Brock looks on. Ash gives Amber the ultimate swirly and cuts off her head. “Believe it or not, dad, this is my day job,” he says matter-of-factly.

Unfortunately, one of the partiers sees Ash holding Amber’s wet, bloody head and tells everyone Ashy Slashy is coming to kill them. In the chaos, Brock runs after the fleeing teens, insisting his son is a hero. He winds up standing in the street, calling them all morons. Ash, touched by his father’s defense, asks his dad if he means it when he called Ash a hero. Brock says yes, telling Ash he’s wasted so much time being apart from his son. The two finally reconcile. Brock cryptically adds he has “vital” intel that will change Ash’s entire life. Before he can say what it is, though, the flaming Delta with the screaming, trapped Lacey comes roaring down the street, running over Brock and upending Ash’s world once again. There’s almost nothing Ash loves that the demons won’t take from him; first it was Cheryl and Linda, and now it’s his dad.

Returning director Tony Tilse ably handles the deranged antics of the Delta and heavier emotional beats of Noelle Valdivia’s script. Tilse also brings back the Kandarian demon point-of-view shot as it races along the ground toward the Delta, blowing leaves everywhere. In fact, Tilse uses a lot of classic Raimi-esque angles throughout the episode, including the way he frames the possessed Delta as it fires itself up to go after the hapless teens. Valdivia’s script also hits all the right notes, from the scenes of the Deadite Delta’s behavior to the heartfelt dialogue between Ash and Brock, as well as Ash and Pablo, Pablo and Kelly, and Kelly and Ruby. There’s a lot of good conversation here that not only entertains, but illuminates the various characters’ struggles in a naturalistic way. Ash and Brock’s reconciliation is particularly effective.

Now that Brock’s gone, what will Ash do? Every single character is left battling some kind of demon: Ash with his past, Kelly with her doubts about her “impressiveness,” Pablo with his visions and lack of sleep, and Ruby with her children (and some other mystery we haven’t been let in on). All the inner turmoil means no one can focus the way they need to in order to stop the Deadites.

Also, without Kelly, Ash and Pablo will need to rely on Ash’s sketchy friend, Chet, who doesn’t seem to be very dependable. Then there’s Lacey, who’s still trapped in the Delta, not to mention Brock’s last words, which will probably set another quest for Ash into motion (my guess: Ash’s mom is still alive—and hopefully not a Deadite!). What’s next for the Ghostbeaters? Stay tuned!

“I’m just saying, a utility hand comes in, er, handy!”

This week in Ash (and other) one-liners (plus other stuff I liked):

“I can’t fart without tripping on that thing, and I fart a lot.” (By the way, Ash’s farts sound gross!)

“Friendly fire mishap” (drinks) “And, uh, Saudi gold” (drinks) “Like, uh, Anwar the, uh, village boy…uh…hmm, your turn!” – Chet

Did anyone catch what “just hit an all-time high”? I could not make it out, even after several listens. Damn possessed radio!

“Then let’s go kill your kids!” – Kelly

“It’s all in the ass, son. You gotta clench those cheeks together nice and tight! Get ‘em so hard you can crack a walnut on ‘em!” – Brock (*sniffle*)

“There’s no winners when you play catch, pop! You just throw the ball back and forth and you bond!”

Ash viewing Pablo in a ketamine haze as Pablo tries to inspire Ash to save Brock (Kelly’s ketamine experience is equally good)

Ash and Pablo’s eagle calls (fa-kaw!)

“You’re so much better at this than my dead wife.” – Brock, the old smoothie

R.I.P., Brock. At least you got your son back before you died.

And not that I’m encouraging anyone to try this, but here’s the Pink Fuck recipe:

Vodka 3 oz.
Strawberry liqueur (pour for 2 seconds)
Splash of grenadine
½ cup lemonade
Orange zest
Nutmeg
And
Ketamine
(I couldn’t make out the bottom – looked like 1 Beer <something> and a Cup of K [with the K circled])