THE GIFTED (3/4) - Another gift from Marvel!

MARVEL has turned into an entertainment machine with multiple films and TV shows all over. Outside of the main MCU, there's another universe of X Men's world. Legion has been widely loved and Inhumans is a different story. The Gifted is definitely a gift. And it had Stan Lee in it. Another gift!

The series stars Stephen Moyer and Amy Acker as ordinary parents who take their family on the run after they discover their children's mutant abilities. Sean Teale, Jamie Chung, Coby Bell, Emma Dumont, Blair Redford, Natalie Alyn Lind, and Percy Hynes White also star in the show. 

So, here's some thoughts

THE GOOD

  • The cast. It's a beautiful cast, literally (they are all too good looking, like they walked out of a catalogue). I may not be excited about age/looks diversity, but that never hurt a show.
  • The cast. It's kind of a talented dream cast
    • Stephen Moyer is stellar as Reed Strucker. Who better could you ask for! he makes a good passionate father, wicked lawyer and a cool character.
    • Our favorite Jamie Chung. She's a mutant, BLINK. And she got character. (She destroys a puppy's favorite toy, and then "puts it back" together).
    • Natalie Alyn Lind as Lauren Strucker is quite something. She makes her character interesting, and not your atypical teenaged girl. Good job!
    • Emma Dumont as Lorna Dane / Polaris, Magneto's daughter is pretty cool. Would we see Magneto too? Yes please!
  • It's quite interesting, fast paced and filled with plot twists. A lot happens in first episode itself. We find a normal human family, that turns out to have mutant kids, that's getting chased by government, so they are on run, and they get separated. And that's just half of it. There's also an underground Mutant network, that we will learn more about.
  • It's our favorite X-Men. They establish the connection quite well, for the fans to keep them excited and connected.
  • There's impressive social commentary, from prosecution of minorities, to immigration, to bullying to lot more. Job well done!

NOT-SO-GOOD

  • Reed Strucker seems kind of a rushed character. From being Government agent/lawyer prosecuting mutants, to suddenly making deals with them, it was not fully palatable in just one episode. I understand it's his family, bit you would expect him to try the system first.
  • Amy Acker as Caitlin Strucker is grossly underused. She's just there to bash her kids and respond to surprises that come her way. It's just the pilot, so hopefully it changes as we move forward.
  • Several other characters or not fussed out yet, but it is just pilot, and there are lot of characters. So I guess we shall wait.
  • Not enough action, one may say!
  • Reminded me of Heroes. Not that it's a bad thing necessarily, but not very original.

So, if you are not into sci-fi, comic book, superhero/superpower shows, you may wanna stay clear of this (I'll still suggest you check it out, for social commentary etc). But otherwise, enjoy this good pilot of hopefully a good show!

This is the story of two families who came together to protect each other. THE GIFTED premieres MON, OCT 2 on FOX!

Game Of Thrones: Dragonstone - S 7: Ep 1 review (3/4) | Dany is at Dragonstone, Cersei is going mad, Jon is King of North... & Winter is here!

The long awaited Season 7 of HBO's GAME OF THRONES is here, and it did not disappoint. Although, it wasn't specially exciting either, which is quite normal for season premieres of GOT. It's usually a set up for the upcoming season, and this episode did that beautifully. You almost get to see all the major characters, and all their stories seem to converging soon. And it had some beautiful, strong and also disgusting moments spread through out the episode.

***SPOILERS***

So here's what happened and what was good:

  • Arya Stark killed all the Freys, and she's heading to Kings Landing to kill the queen. she has become more and more exciting, snd it's good to see her finally in action.
  • Whitewalkers are coming. And this time, they have Giant white walkers too. Yep!!!
  • Bran Stark & Meera Reed make it in, through the wall. The scene with brothers of the Night's Watch was interesting. And its always exciting to see the "giant wall".
  • Jon Snow/Stark/Targaryen v/s Sansa Stark/Baratheon/Bolton. Sansa "loves" Jon but is not really with him in his methods. Jon is still Jon, kind and considerate. Sansa wants to be Cersei. An exciting scene of their confrontation, Jon holding his ground and showing he's the King of North.
  • Littlefinger is still creepy, but Sansa seems to be handling it. Sansa tells him "he doesn't have to seize the last word. I'm sure it's something clever." Quite fitting!
  • Cersei sends a threat to Jon about giving in, or facing destruction. Seriously?
  • Cersei has gone mad. I think. After blowing ups the crypt, and killing 11 regular stars of the show, she thinks she' super powerful. Her brother & lover, Jamie on the other hand still has some sense. He tells her that she's not the queen of seven lands, three at best, with no support. She's still going crazy. She thinks she has a way.
  • Euron Greyjoy is the way. He wants her as his queen, offering his support in return. She doesn't trust him, so he promises to return with a "priceless gift". Any ideas what it'll be? A dragon? Or Tyrion? We'll find out.
  • The Hound, who met up with Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr and the rest of the Brotherhood in Season 6, travels with them now. He lands at the farmer's house from Season 4, where he stole their gold despite Arya's protests. Now the farmer and daughter are dead, and he's filled with guilt, which he doesn't/can't show.
  • The scene where he sees whitewalkers in fire, very intense. Overall good scene for Rory McCann.
  • Now comes one of the most disgusting scene of GOT, with our favorite Samwell Tarly. Apparently, the part of training for being a maester in Citadel, is to clean up shit, literal shit. A long funny & disgusting montage of Sam cleaning shit.
  • He can't get Grand Maester to help him with training for killing whitewalkers, so he steals the book and finds out what? That there's a mountain of dragon glass under, you guessed it Dragonstone.
  • We see Jorah Mormont is still sick, waiting for the Dragon Queen, and a cure.
  • DRAGONSTONE! Dany arrives at Dragonstone, a long montage of walking to and inside. And finally arriving in the "infamous" map room, asking his hand Tyrion, "Shall we begin?". Pretty Cool!

Not so good

  • Why is Arya going to Kings Landing? Go to your family. Seriously!
  • The scene with Ed Sheeran. I mean UGH. Is she going to kill them all? She should!
  • Bran Stark is so boring. Do something cool. Be useful.
  • Long scene with Cersei and Jamie. Too much talk and exposition, not much action.
  • The long disgusting montage of poop & puke and shit cleaning by Sam was necessary? I guess so...
  • Dany didn't take the throne. I mean... There was a cool throne to sit on.
  • We didn't hear Tyrion's banter. He was there. We want him more!

Anyways, there are only 12 episodes left in the show, 6 in Season 7, and 6 in Season 8. Savor it as much as you can. Enjoy it. GOT is going to end. Yes, it's going to happen. But until then, we have a lot to look forward to. And it's going to be awesome!

It may be the first day of summer, but #WinterisHere on 7.16. Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres this July. Learn more at http://www.gameofthrones.com

BETTER CALL SAUL - Season 3, (mostly) SPOILER FREE review

I have been Better Call Saul fan since season-1. This spinoff of Breaking Bad, is coming to a point where it can turn out to be a show better than the parent. At least in some ways. The last night season finale makes a string case for that. And if you haven't caught the bug yet, please jump online to find it on Netflix or any other streaming or on-demand service you use. You have a lot to catch up on!

Better Call Saul is an American television crime drama series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. It is a spin-off prequel of Gilligan's prior series Breaking Bad. Set in 2002, Better Call Saul follows the story of small-time lawyer James Morgan "Jimmy" McGill (Bob Odenkirk), six years before his appearance on Breaking Bad as Saul Goodman; events after the original series are briefly explored as well.

This Emmy-nominated prequel to "Breaking Bad" follows small-time attorney Jimmy McGill as he transforms into morally challenged lawyer Saul Goodman. SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/29kBByr About Netflix: Netflix is the world's leading Internet television network with over 100 million members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen.

So what's good...

  • Initially a show that was supposed to be mostly comedy, has become emotional drama, crime thriller, and still a very funny comedy. It has everything, and everything is wonderful.
  • The sub-plot of 2 brothers Jimmy and Chuck took a larger role this season. And boy, was Michael McKean amazing! He brings so much depth to a seemingly despicable lunatic character, and makes him just a treat to watch. We do hope to see more of him in next season...
  • Season 3 introduces some familiar characters from Breaking Bad. It's a pleasure to see Francesca and Huell back. Specially Francesca's origin story is wonderful, and Tina Parker is just marvelous in her portrayal.
  • Gus Fring is back too. And as usual, Giancarlo Esposito is the same calm, composed mastermind criminal who we all love. Hopefully we see some new shades of his charger in next season.
  • The entire cast is wonderful. Casting makes a show great, and this show has a great cast. Special mention to Rhea Seehorn, Michael Mando, and Patrick Fabian. Kudos to all other actors. Absolutely!
  • Thanks to wonderful storytelling by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, the show is a joy to watch. The long action scenes (not fight), with almost no dialogue are amazing to watch. And it's a joy how the story unfolds.
  • Last but not the least, Bob Odenkirk (Who became Saul Goodman). He's just AWESOME!

Not-so-good

  • Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut was kinda boring. Jon is so talented and it seems the character was made more uni-dimensional this season.
  • It's getting less funny, and more dramatic & serious. 
  • The LONG action-shots of things just happening, or people doing things, can be annoying. Mostly fun (and meaningful), but sometimes it's too much.

It's a show you must be watching. So get on it NOW!

The cast and creators discuss the state of Jimmy's morals, Mike's deepening partnership with Gus, and what's next for everyone as their paths cross more in the future.

AMERICAN GODS - Season 1 (mostly) SPOILER FREE review!

There's a reason why a show was being called "one of the best shows on TV", even before it was airing. The show called AMERICAN GODS. And in all honesty, it hasn't disappointed at all. The show is truly amazing in more than one ways. And yesterday's finale sealed it's fate as a show that is not going to be forgotten, but people are already waiting for the second season. If you haven't watched it yet, it's time you jump on to Amazon (Each episode becomes available internationally on Amazon Video the day after the U.S. broadcast.) or on-demand, and watch it right now!

If you do not know about the show, American Gods is based on the novel of the same name, written by Neil Gaiman and originally published in 2001. The television series was developed by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green for Starz. Fuller and Green are the showrunners for the series. The series focuses on Shadow Moon, who meets a strange man named Mr. Wednesday after being released from prison, and soon becomes embroiled in a large-scale conflict between the Old Gods and the New Gods, who grow stronger each day.

Get your free trial of the STARZ app: http://starz.tv/29ZEg2m Subscribe now for more: http://bit.ly/1kalhP0 Connect with American Gods online: http://starz.com/series/americangods Follow American Gods on Twitter: http://twitter.com/americangodsstz Follow American Gods on Facebook: http://facebook.com/americangodsstarz Follow American Gods on Tumblr: http://americangods.tumblr.com When Shadow Moon is released from prison, he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday and a storm begins to brew.

So, what's good about the show?

  • The story of gods, in modern world. The old gods, or "the gods" as we know them, who exist and feed on our their believers and followers. The new gods, the marvels new-age like technology, media, globalization etc.m who exist because they rule & run today's world. The concept is fascinating, the story is amazing, and the presentation by Fuller and Green is just awesome!
  • The visuals are stunning. When it comes to visual story telling, Bryan Fuller and Michael Greene are the men to go to. Bryan's wonderful Hannibal, was a canvas filled with amazing imagery. American Gods being a fantasy, takes it a step further. It's surreal, it's astonishing, it's beautiful and it's crazy (at times).
  • The cast is just perfect. Ricky Whittle's first LEAD role is just seems to be made for him. Everyone is just cast perfect for the part. But few standouts are Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday (A role already played by Anthony Hopkins, and we still love Ian even more), Pablo Schreiber as Mad Sweeney, (does he make a crazy leprechaun or what), Emily Browning as Laura Moon (The lil girl is grown up, and she's cute & crazy & disgusting & weird & more, all at the same time), Yetide Badaki as Bilquis (what can I say, she's just perfect. The eyes, the look, the body language, everything) and definitely Gillian Anderson as Media (what can I not say, she's just WOW!).
  • When hit comes to diversity & inclusion for women and African American, it is very good. Black lead - check. Strong female characters - check. More interesting & important black characters, both male & female - check.
  • Is it super relevant or what? A fantasy show about gods but you can take about race, immigration, sexuality, globalization, inner demons etc etc etc. is there any topic that this show doesn't touch, and comes out handling it beautifully?
  • And some shockers along the way too... The most explicit gay sex scene on screen. Not just Mexican Jesus, but over a dozen different Christs. Lynching of a black man. Running over cute bunnies (I mean, seriously!). 

What's not so good about the show (hmmm...)

  • Inclusion for other ethincities... There are 2 middle eastern characters, but that's it. Right? No major Asian characters. And no Indian gods yet. Krishna? Siva? Durga? Buddha? (I'm perfect for all of them, specially Krishna or Siva). I mean... Seriously?
  • Why Dane Cook? Although he was good in the role. But why him? Who wants to see more of him? (ME!!)
  • Some episodes seem to move really slow (Good news, season-2 episodes will move faster)
  • Why only 8 episodes? I mean, why? Didn't we need/want like 20 episodes? (Good News, the Season-2 has 10 episodes)

So, if you are not on the band wagon yet, please jump on immediately and start watching AMERICAN GODS. It is AWESOME!

Shadow drops by to visit Jesus. Get your free trial of the STARZ app: http://starz.tv/29ZEg2m Subscribe now for more: http://bit.ly/1kalhP0 Connect with American Gods online: http://starz.com/series/americangods Follow American Gods on Twitter: http://twitter.com/americangodsstz Follow American Gods on Facebook: http://facebook.com/americangodsstarz Follow American Gods on Tumblr: http://americangods.tumblr.com When Shadow Moon is released from prison, he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday and a storm begins to brew.

Supergirl: The Complete First Season (4/4) | Own it on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD

"Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own."

After getting that out of the way, let me just say, I REALLY LOVED THIS. I liked the show when it started, in my first review. And they just made it better over time. I have to say that when it comes to TV shows, DC has got it (like MARVEL has got it, when it comes to movies). From Arrow, to The Flash, to Legends of Tomorrow to Supergirl (and not to forget, GOTHAM), they are rocking it. The amazing team of Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kresiberg and Ali Adler are bringing you the best. The casting of Melissa Benoist as Supergirl works, but the show stealers are Calista Flockhart as Cat Grant and Jeremy Jordan as Winn. The entire cast is good, including some race benders like David Harewood as Hank Henshaw aka Martian Manhunter a black James Olsen played by Mehcaad Brooks. The special effects and quality is good for TV. It does tend to be cheesy at places, but hey, it is TV. All in all, I am not complaining about a separate TV universe by DC, because its fun to watch.

So watching the entire season on this blu-ray is definitely a treat. For all your binge watchers, this is definitely a treat, since its worth the binge watch. But even better is the fact that the blu-ray comes with lots of EXTRAS!

More Videos: http://bit.ly/1IFwGWn - SUPERGIRL is an action-adventure drama based on the DC Comics character Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist), Superman's (Kal-El) cousin who, after 12 years of keeping her powers a secret on Earth, decides to finally embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be.

A new Super Hero will soon be flying into homes, as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases Supergirl: The Complete First Season on Blu-rayTM and DVD on August 9, 2016. Delivering 10.9 million Total Viewers weekly,Supergirl is the #2 series on CBS amongst Men 18-49, just behind The Big Bang Theoryand a Top 5 series on the network with Men 18-34, Men 25-54 and Tweens 12-17*. Fans can purchase the set which, in addition to all 20 exhilarating episodes, contains over an hour of extra content, including the 2015 Comic-Con panel, featurettes, deleted scenes and a gag reel. Supergirl: The Complete First Season is priced to own at $49.99 SRP for the DVD and $54.97 SRP for the Blu-ray including Digital HD. Supergirl: The Complete First Season is also available to own on Digital HD via purchase from digital retailers.

*Source: Nielsen National TV ViewL+7 US AA%; excluding repeats, specials, sports, and <5 TCs; Season To-Date = 9/21/15-2/7/16

Born on the doomed planet Krypton, Kara Zor-El escaped at the same time as her cousin, Superman, but didn’t arrive on Earth until years later after being lost in the Phantom Zone. Raised by her adopted family, the Danvers, Kara grew up in the shadow of her foster sister, Alex, and learned to hide the phenomenal powers she shares with her famous cousin. Years later, at age 24, and now living in National City while working as an assistant for Catco Worldwide Media mogul Cat Grant, Kara has spent so many years trying to fit in that she forgot to ever stand out. All that changes when she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and become the hero she was always destined to be. With the help of Daily Planet photographer James Olsen, her bioengineer sister Alex, and the research of the super-secret, off-the-grid Department of Extra-Normal Operations (DEO), who are tasked with keeping the Earth safe from aliens, Kara takes to the skies to protect her world. (TBC)

With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, the Blu-ray release of Supergirl: The Complete First Season will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. The 4-disc Blu-ray will feature a high-definition Blu-ray and a Digital HD copy of all 20 episodes from season one.

Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist (Glee), Chyler Leigh (Grey’s Anatomy), Mehcad Brooks (About Last Night) and Jeremy Jordan (Smash), with David Harewood (Homeland) and Calista Flockhart (Brothers and Sisters).  Season One guest stars include Dean Cain, Peter Facinelli, Jenna Dewan Tatum, Laura Benanti and Helen Slater. Based on the characters from DC Comics, Supergirl is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg,Ali Adler and Sarah Schechter.

BLU-RAY & DVD FEATURES

·         2015 Comic-Con Panel: Warner Bros. Television Presents a Night of DC Entertainment at Comic-Con 2015: Supergirl

·         The Man From Mars: Superman once described J'onn J'onzz as "the most powerful being on the face of the Earth." This documentary will explore J’onn J’onzz’s current circumstances on Supergirl as the alien who swore an oath to a dying father to protect his daughters.

·         A World Left Behind: Krypton: Kara Zor-El's home planet of Krypton was destroyed in the opening minutes of the pilot. It was a spectacular, futuristic society filled with mystery and intrigue! This documentary will explore the history of this famous planet and its role and depiction in Supergirl.

·         Gag Reel

·         Deleted Scenes

20 ONE-HOUR EPISODES

1.    Pilot

2.    Stronger Together

3.    Fight or Flight

4.    How Does She Do It?

5.    Livewire

6.    Red Faced

7.    Human for a Day

8.    Hostile Takeover

9.    Blood Bonds

10. Childish Things

11. Strange Visitor from Another Planet

12. Bizarro

13. For the Girl Who Has Everything

14. Truth, Justice and The American Way

15. Solitude

16. Falling

17. Manhunter

18. Worlds Finest

19. Myriad

20. Better Angels 

DIGITAL HD

The first season of Supergirl is also currently available to own on Digital HD. Digital HD allows consumers to instantly stream and download all episodes to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices.  Digital HD is available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, CinemaNow, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. A Digital HD copy is also included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs for redemption and cloud storage through participating UltraViolet retail services including CinemaNow, Vudu and Flixster Video. 

BASICS

Street Date: August 9, 2016

BD and DVD Presented in 16x9 widescreen format

Running Time: Feature: Approx 880 min

Enhanced Content: Approx 39 min

 

DVD

Price: $49.99 SRP

5 DVD-9s

Audio – English (5.1)

Subtitles – Eng SDH, Latin Spanish, French

BLU-RAY

Price: $54.97 SRP

4-Disc Elite 3 BD-50s

BD Audio –DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 – English

BD Subtitles – ESDH, French, Latin Spanish 

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.

 

About DC Entertainment

DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner.  DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games.  Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.

 

Supergirl and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. 

Game Of Thrones: The Winds Of Winter (4/4)

To begin with, it was an amazing episode and the best finale of the series. This episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. Considering how awesome the last episode was, the bar was high for this episode. They managed to still meet expectations. And hands down, it was awesome!

***Spoilers***

  • This episode was a showdown of "women power". It seems the next season would be a war of women, for the throne. The big game would be played and led by the ladies ~ Daenerys Targaryen vs Cersei Lannister vs Sansa & Arya Stark.
  • There are few important men left ~ Jon Snow/Stark/Targaryen, Bran Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Jamie Lannister and Samwell Tarly.
  • And there are many important people, who are dead now ~ High Sparrow, Queen Margery Tyrell, King Tommen Baratheon, Walder Frey, amongst many others. Thanks to Cersei and her green explosion.
    • Cerise and her dear friends managed to blow up the green goo, that's been stored under the great sept, and kill the guys waiting for trial. High Sparrow and Margery died along with Loras and bunch of others. The stupid sparrow didn't listen to Margery, and every one died. But in all honesty, it was satisfying to see the sparrow die. But it would have been nice to see what Margery was planning.
    • Upon seeing the above, Tommen just jumped off. That was totally stupid. But he wasn't the sharpest tool anyways. I guess it's okay, but no Baratheon left? Although, there's that bastard, right?
    • Frey's death was cool. He deserved it, of course. Seeing Arya doing it, was kinda dark. But it was coming,. And hey, she' the faceless lady now. It's all cool!
  • Cerise is the QUEEN now, she's got the iron throne. Even Jamie was terrified to see her like that. With no kids left, she's going to go crazy. No doubt!
  • Jon is the WHITE WOLF and KING of the NORTH. It's pretty awesome, but we all know what happened to the last one.
  • Through Bran's vision, we find out that Jon Snow is actually son of Lyanna Stark. We can assume the father is the mad king, Targaryen Sr. It means he's nephew of Daenerys? Interesting!!!
  • Daenerys has rightfully dumped the handsome hunk Daario, but not for Tyrion. Although Tyrion is the second best thing, to king, he's Hand of the Queen. It was a very moving and wonderful scene, to be honest!
  • Daenerys leaves Mermen with her Army, joined by Drone, Tyrell, Greyjoys along with her won army and the dragons. Quite a sight!

***Spoilers End***

Topping last week's cinematography is almost impossible for almost any TV show, but besides that, it looked good. One of the few episodes, where we saw almost everyone (almost). Everyone that will play key role in next season. All the performances were top notch. Some amazing scenes as well, bit him terms of writing, shooting, direction, performances and everything.

I already cannot wait for the next season!!!

Game Of Thrones: Battle of the Bastards (4/4)

In the penultimate episode of season-6 of Game Of Thrones, the show finally goes where we believe it truly belongs. And not just that, it almost crosses all previous marks it has set. The show really moved forward, and things happened. Things that we have been waiting for. And it was good. Seriously!

***spoilers***

So, the war between Boltons & Starks took place, and it was awesome. It started with Ramsey killing Rickon Stark. Which made Jon not just mad, but ready to start the fight alone. With half the army of Bolton's, it seemed like a one-sided fight, not it favor of the Starks. Until Sansa showed up with Petyr Bearish and Knights of the Vales. Jon hunted Ramsay all the way back to Winterfell, and almost beat him to death. But then, he left him for Sansa. And Sansa did good.

Ramsay Snow/Bolton is DEAD. That too eaten by his own hounds. It was pretty awesome. We were all waiting for him to die for a long time. The "new Tommy" was even more annoying. But his death was even more "well done". And the smile on Sansa's face after the death was satisfying. For all of us.

Back at Mereen, Daenerys is back in action, with all her 3 dragons. Under Tyrion's advice, she decided not to destroy everything, and everyone, but to just defeat the masters. And acquire there ships. She also accepts offer from Yara and Theon to take there 100 ships, and in turn, support Yara's claim to Iron throne, provided they stop being "naughty".

***spoilers end***

The performances of every actor on the episode was amazing. the scenes between Daenerys and Tyrion; and Daenerys and Theon & Yara were both brilliant. There was lot of subtext in each scene, which came of clearly thanks to the wonderful acting. Tyron is still not sure what's his place, but he's acting in best of spirits and best of morales as possible. The suggested sexual tension between Yara and Daenerys was quite interesting as well.

The interactions between Jon Snow and Ramsay Snow/Bolton was wonderful too. It's funny to know that Iwan Rheon (Ramsay) originally auditioned for Jon Snow. But he brings a unique despicableness to Ramsay, which was great to see being ended. It was also nice to see Kit Harrington, angry, fighting, and really mad. And the same goes for Sansa. It was nice to see her step out of her mute or whiney image, but get her revenge herself.

But the besting of the show was the battle scene. This battle scene was one of the best battle scene you have seen on screen. It gives you the true feeling of being on such a battlefield. It's just such a horrendous mess, and people keep dying, or keep getting lucky like Jon, Tormund and Davos. "Battle of the Bastards" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, who listed  Battle of Cannae and the American Civil War as their two main inspirations. The director of the episode, Miguel Sapochnik, stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the Battle of Agincourt was the original inspiration for the battle, but the concept was changed to better fit the budgetary constraints. The writers and director do an amazing job of making this episode, one of the best episodes of the show, in every way.

Now, I cannot wait for the finale. I am sure the same goes for you too!

Game of Thrones: Season 6 premiere | The Red Woman (3/4)

Game of Thrones Season 6 premiere was good, but not great. There was death, there was action, there was nudity, but there was not the intensity that you may expect from your favorite GOT. A lot happened, but nothing really happened. A lot what we expected, but not really what we may have wanted. But the good thing is, it left us hungry for more, with the possibility of even more.

***Spoilers***

  • One thing was clear; John Snow is dead, at least for this week. I doubt that will go on for long though. He has to come back. Seems like it will be Melisandre? Maybe White Walkers?
  • Although turns out she’s like 500 yrs old, maybe even 1000 yrs. But she does know some serious magic. Although, if she was going to use magic, why not look like in your 20s. Just wondering…
  • Jamie is back to Cersei. And Cersei is totally disoriented. Doesn’t care much about her girl dying, but talking about all 3 dying. Well, there’s one left, so far.
  • All the ships have been burnt, so Tyrion and Varys are not going to Westeros any time soon. Tyrion actually spelled that, exactly that way!
  • The Sand Snakes killed the king & the prince. Actually, the king was the prince. So they killed the prince and prince’s son. Was surprisingly easy, for a “prince & ruler”. But hey, it’s GOT.
  • Sansa & Theon, almost got caught. But Brienne saved them. She’s finally back, and finally in Sansa’s service. BTW – Sansa almost didn’t wanna walk in water, even to save her life. Seriously?
  • Arya is blind, and getting beaten up. Honestly, that’s it!
  • The Khaleesi is back to being Khaleesi, with the dothrakis & Khals. Her lovers are looking for her, and she’s looking to go back. At Least she avoided the tormentation etc, by reporting she’s ex-Khaleesi. But now she’s supposed to to go to this ex-khaleesi retirement home.
  • And where are the dragons? Seriously, again? Where are they when they are needed? After All, they are the ones that are going t o probably save her. I know it’s expensive and all, but it’s GOT. Give me the dragons!!

***Spoilers ends***

Subscribe to the Game of Thrones YouTube: http://itsh.bo/10qIOan Game of Thrones Season 6 premieres April 24th at 9PM. Connect with Game of Thrones Online: Game of Thrones Viewer's Guide: http://gameofthrones.com Game of Thrones on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GameOfThrones Game of Thrones on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOfThrones Game of Thrones Official Site: http://itsh.bo/HpR8b1 Game of Thrones on HBO GO® http://itsh.bo/eIDxfw Game of Thrones on HBO Connect: http://connect.hbo.com/game-thrones Game of Thrones merchandise: http://itsh.bo/1pjoxLZ It's HBO.

So that encapsulates the show. Performances were fine, but nothing breakout. Except Kit Harrington as the dead body. He’s same as he was at the end of last season. Impressive… And the old lady that plays OLD Melisandre. She’s quite something!

Waiting for next episode, and rest of the season. :)

Better Call Saul - Season 2 (4/4)

If you're not sure what to do this weekend, you can either go out and enjoy the nice weather (at least here in NYC, where it's finally going to hit 70s), or even better, watch "Better Call Saul", one of the best shows on TV right now. The season finale is tomorrow, and you wouldn't wanna miss out!

A spinoff show from the universally acclaimed Breaking Bad, that started last year, is a universally acclaimed show on its own. Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould were able to recreate the magic of the original show, and make this into an equally exciting and joyful journey for audience to watch. There is drama, suspense, thrill, great humor & comedy, and everything you want in a good TV show. This brilliantly cast show, with an amazing story and wonderful storytelling, is definitely worth your time. No wonder, its already renewed for a 3rd season.

If you're new to the show, it's story of Saul Goodman, from the Breaking Bad, who's a corrupt but good-hearted lawyer. He's doing his best to survive against the world, against all odds in his life, and against his brother who's a noble lawyer but doesn't appreciate his brother's "tricks". I'm not going to give any more spoilers. It's more like a prequel, but also has some sequel scenes (goes back & forth in time). We know where the prequel part ends, but it'll be exciting to see where the sequel ends. Hopefully it gets explored more in season finale or next season.

Don't miss the season finale of Better Call Saul, Mon., Apr. 18 at 10/9c.

Bob Odenkirk is absolutely amazing in his role, and Jonathan Banks, makes his Mike one of the best characters on TV. The entire cast is very good. The editing and photography is beautiful. The show has a lot of character and looks great. Probably New Mexico is getting lot of tourism, thanks to Vince, Peter and AMC. Every director on the show has helped to elevate the show. But after Peter's amazing episode last week, I'm very excited about Vince's season finale coming tomorrow!

Undoubtedly it's one of the best times for TV, and AMC is definitely doing its part in contributing towards that. Checkout more about the show here

http://www.amc.com/shows/better-call-saul

Wynonna Earp (2/4)

Wynonna Earp is Jessica Jones, without the real fire & fun. A "strong and tough woman", although this one has no super powers (yet), who's brash, harsh, give-no-damn kind of girl. A descendent of demon-killers Earp legacy, who hold a special gun "peacemaker" (which only they can hold), to kill the demons, I mean "the revenants". She has a sister to save, and fight with. She has a strong male character to lean on. And a white male villain, connected to her past.

Well, that's practically where similarity with Jessica Jones ends, as far as story goes. But similarity in the character and performance, remains. Although the show finds similarities in many other shows on TV right now. And its another show involving the lead female character finding and demons (Shadowhunters, Shannara). Being helped by other strong male characters. I mean, its just repeated, boring and nothing great. I think we have had enough of them already.

The action scenes are not as hard core as the Netflix's Marvel shows. The show tries to play it dark & grim, with occasional dose of comedy, which is not bad, but not impressive either. The production quality is quite mediocre, for what we are used to seeing on TV. Performances are not bad, but the story and dialogues are filled with cliches. The show really needs something more, something better.

Everyone has demons. Hers are real. Wynonna Earp airs Fridays at 10/9c. " Premieres Friday, April 1 at 10/9c " Subscribe To Syfy: http://po.st/Ccur3W Series Description: Based on the IDW Comic, Wynonna Earp follows Wyatt Earp's great granddaughter as she battles demons and other creatures.

The simplest way for me to figure, if I like a TV show, is the fact, if I want to watch it again. Honestly, I did not care to watch second episode. I thought I'll give this 2 episodes before my review. And even after 2 episodes, I'm not really impressed. I'm not sure I'm going to go back and watch...

Lopez (3/4)

George Lopez is back, again, with a new TV show with his name, again, where he plays himself, again. And its actually funny & good, again! 

The show is created by John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, who have done amazing shows from Kings of Hill, to Silicon Valley. No wonder TV Land gave a 12-episode straight-to-series order in August 2015. And the shows premier today was quite funny & fun. We see George Lopez, an aging & successful brown comic, but only popular with browns & blacks, struggling to keep up with the whites & the world.

A new comedy from George Lopez and co-creators of Silicon Valley, Lopez is inspired by the life of George Lopez. It starts Wednesdays, March 30th at 10/9c on TV Land Lopez Premieres Wednesday March 30th at 10/9C on TV Land! Watch a preview on the TV Land App!

George is hilarious, as usual, and really suits the part! The guest star Snoop Dogg, didn't have much to add, but had a nice part. Most of the rest of the cast was good too. But  this episode heavily relied on George's shoulder, and he did great. The jokes were funny, and socially relevant. Like most of George's show, it's still heavily focused on hispanic issues and many cliches & stereotypes too. Hopefully we see that evolve in upcoming seasons, with more characters developing. 

 

Full episode can be watched here on TVLand site: http://www.tvland.com/episodes/rj3wir/lopez-slave-for-a-day-ep-101

Enjoy!

Supergirl: World's Finest (4/4)

To begin with, it's hands down one of the best episode of the show so far, and it's a nice enough show. Thanks to Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg (the two having previously created Arrow and The Flash), DC's TV universe is not a disaster like the movies. Flash who can travel through time & parallel universes, accidentally lands up in National City. And the fun begins!

Like the crossover with Arrows, this one is quite fun. The chemistry between Grant and his ex co-star from Glee, is amazing. Which makes the chemistry between Flash & Supergirl fun. Both are funny, nerdy, cheesy and awesome! They team up together against the duo of Livewire & Silver Banshee, and they all fight like women (as Flash says!). Flash helps Supergirl save the day (spoiler: although they don't actually save the day, it gets saved by Firefighters. Kinda boring, but...). And Supergirl helps Flash get back to his Earth. And in between, there are races/competitions (guess who wins?) and lot of funny jabs. 

Both Grant and Melissa are phenomenal. Seeing this James Olsen jealous, was nice for a change. Winn as the mega nerd of Supergirl, is cool, as usual. But unfortunately, he lost his new found lady love, to Silver Banshee (or who became her). Rest of the cast is amazing as usual.  The episode's teleplay was written by Andrew Kreisberg & Michael Grassi, and directed by Nick Gomez. All in all, this was an amazing episode, and hopefully we get to see more of these.

Don't miss Supergirl x The Flash Crossover Monday, March 28th at 8/7c on CBS. #SupergirlxTheFlash http://www.cbs.com/shows/supergirl/ http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-flash/ http://supergirl.com/

Fun Facts: This marked the first episode of the series to feature a character from the DC Universe that appears on another show, and the first character from a CW series to cross over to a CBS series. The episode title was inspired by the World's Finest Comics series, in which Superman would team up with various other DC superheroes, including the Flash.

Arrow - Season 4 - Green Arrow (3/4)

The Season 4 premier of Arrow was fun. I don't think anyone was surprised to see Oliver Queen back, but it was nice to see him finally become the Green Arrow. The show has handled this transition beautifully. After Deathstroke and Ra's Al Ghul, Damien Dahrk seems like a great villain to welcome. And the episode raised some new questions which we will be looking answers for.

***spoilers***

Oliver Queen is enjoying his leisurely life with Felicity as a couple, making dinners & desserts with new friends. As he's ready to propose to Felicity, he's interrupted by Thea and Laurel. Star City (renamed from Starling City, in memory of Ray Palmer) is under attack one more time, and this time it's the Ghosts being lead by Damien Dahrk. He's not a meta, he's mystical with super powers like telekinesis, healing and sucking out life of others. So Oliver has to be back in a new green Suit, and become Green Arrow. 

But Who is Damien Dahrk? Why is detective Lance working with him? His wife is in trouble I guess? Or he can bring Sara back? In flashback - What happened on island this time? I'm guessing he finally left form there lol... And in flashfuture - whose grave is it? Felicity? Thea? Laurel? Diggle? Detective Lance? WHO?!?!?

***spoilers end***

It was good to see Arrow as Green Arrow, and back in action. It was interesting to see Diggle in that mask, but they can do better. And he needs to stop being mopey.Also Damien seems a good villain. Let's see if he's better than Deathstroke and Ra's Al Ghul. I hope Deathstroke comes back too. Looking forward to next episode.

The Flash - Season 2 - The Man Who Saved Central City (3/4)

The season 2 premier of The Flash wasn't as flashy or exciting as I was hoping for. But it was still interesting and nice. Some old characters have left, but new characters are joining the story and the cast, which is nice. And although the episode started on a down note, it ended on a high.

***spoilers***

The episode opens with a reuniting of the original Team Flash, including Ronnie and Dr Wells. Yes, Dr Wells. But it all turns out to be dream, where Barry is a lone wolf, 6 months after the "incident". Barry did save Central City from the black hole, but both Ronnie and Eddie died, saving the day. Barry is back to moping, and turned into a mopey lone wolf. But when a new meta Atom Crusher arrives, he cant defeat him by himself. We get to see Dr Wells again, in a video message telling Barry that he was never his true enemy. And leaves his confession about killing Norah on video, so his dad can be freed. The family reunion was kinda stretched but still nice. With help from the Team Flash, Barry is able to defeat Atom Crusher, but he dies saying "Zoom", asked him to kill Flash. So, Zoom is coming! And at the end, we see Jay Garrick. Yes, 2 Flashes!!

***spoiler ends****

So overall it was nice episode. Scenes seem long and mopey, with not enough action. We definitely missed Dr Wells, hope he comes back some how. And hopefully with Jay Garrick and Zoom in equation, it'll get interesting again. Looking forward for next episode... and Arrow!

Mr. Robot: (4/4) | Mr. Robot is turning into Breaking Bad & House of Cards

When I say Mr. Robot is turning into Breaking Bad & House Of Cards, I mean it's turning into this amazingly awesome TV show, which is filled with amazing storyline, amazing plot twists, amazing character development, amazing performances, and amazing everything. Yesterday's "episode eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v" was a clear proof of that. It's like the Red wedding of Game Of Thrones, it just blows your mind. Not once, not twice, but many times over. And the biggest shocker for the end of course.

***spilers***

You thought Tyrell murdering Sharon was BIG surprise? Welcome to this episode. Angela and Darlene know each other, like old friends. Yeah, kinda surprising. Maybe due to Elliot's incident with Sheyla? Giddion has been suspicious of Elliot all along. He boobytrapped Evil Corp's network by putting a honeypot. That's why Dark Army backed out. YEAH. And their entire game with Ollie was just to get a meeting with Elliot. And they did, when the mysterious White Rose, a transwoman obsessed with time, meets Elliot and gives him 50 hrs 23 mins to take care of the honeypot. And Elliot does it with Darlene and the team's help. Tyrell seems to know of Mr Robot's plan and kinda approves ofit too. He seems to be part of it somehow too. Not clear, but WHAT? And his pregnant wife Joanna stabs herfself to fake going into labor, to buy him some time and save him from police. But it's not over yet. Elliot plan seems to be working. He's celebrating with Darlene to the most surprising reveal. He seems to have "forgotten again" that Darlene is his sister. REALLY? HE rushes home to search for himself, what else he has forgotten. Of course there's nothing online or anywhere, he's a"ghost". But a blank CD in his storage Reveals Mr. Robot is his father. WTF?

***spoiler ends*** 

Sam Esmail is taking this show to a new level. Camera work and cinematography is just brilliant. Elliot not just breaks 3rd wall as usual, he shakes the camera. Audience becomes part of the show, or even more. Esmail is braking all rules of filmmaking and TV, and showing us something we have probably never seen. And it seems good. I'm already waiting for more. What about you?

Mr. Robot | Pilot (4/4)

The Official Trailer for 'Mr. Robot' on USA. New Episodes Wednesdays at 10/9c. " Subscribe to Mr. Robot: http://po.st/PAiNAW " Watch Full Episodes here: http://po.st/kCDlYE About: MR. ROBOT is a psychological thriller that follows Elliot (Rami Malek, "24"), a young programmer, who works as a cyber security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night.

I have to say it again, TV in US is doing really good. The variety and quality of shows available is just amazing. Seems we may have to add another one on the list, coming from USA - Mr. Robot. 

The name does not give you much, except that it should be a sci-fi show about a humanoid or robotic creature, who's probably the lead protagonist/antagonist, either saving or destroying the world. Most probably saving, and struggling with his new found emotions towards humanity... HOLD ON. The show has nothing to do with any of that. At least not so far. It's actually a show about the digital world that we lead in, how computers and internet affect every aspect of our lives. And a lowly and ordinary software hacker, who's also kinda crazy, is just doing his best to survive.

***spoilers***

The series follows Elliot (Rami Malek), a young cyber security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night. He hates his job and hates even more the company he's supporting in his job, called E Corp aka Evil Corp (Apple? Google? Microsoft? Doubt it can be Microsoft anymore) suffers from a severe case of social anxiety disorder but connects to people by hacking them. That includes his co-worker and childhood friend Angela Moss, whose boyfriend he hates for being a cheater and retarded. The scene between him and the boyfriend is hilarious, specially when Elliot says "i'm okay with thing being weird between us". That also includes his therapist Krista Gordon, who's recently divorced and into dating losers, which Elliot has a problem with, and wants to protect her. The scenes between them are also quite intriguing, specially his inner monologues. 

Elliot finds himself at a crossroads when a mysterious anarchist Mr. Robot (Christian Slater), who's hobo by the night and hacker by the day, recruits Elliot. The show follows his attempts to recruit him to destroy the E Corp, which he is paid to protect. Compelled by his personal beliefs, Elliot struggles to resist the chance to take down the multinational CEOs he believes are running (and ruining) the world. He does end up following his belief and helping to destroy the CTO of E Corp, although Mr. Robot and his group seems to be disappeared. But right at the end of the pilot, he's escorted into a room of suited folks, being lead by one of the VPs of E Corp, he met earlier. Are these the folks he's been worried about? Who actually is Mr. Robot? Is this all real or just Elliot's imagination?

***spoiler ends***

The show has some great performances but Sami Malek takes the limelight. From his inner monologues, to anxieties, to people interaction, everything is either hilarious or pretty serious. And he does great job of it too. Christian Slater did not have a lot of screen presence, but was pretty good and has an interesting role, it seems. The focus has been on Elliot's character so far, which is obvious, but show can take some good turns. Gloria Reuben as the therapist has quite an interesting role. One of my friends Smarat Chakrabarty was also in as Ron, and had a great performance in a short role.

There's some great writing and amazing monologues and dialogues on the show. Makes it more fun to watch. As far as cinematography is concerned, it's great. Scenes in Manhattan, Subway and Cony Island look very NYC. The hacking aspect seems pretty realistic for an average audience, not sure if true hackers will agree though. It does bring some real concerns about cyber security and how the internet and social media impacts our every day lives. The show also has some pretty strong and clear opinions about people, things and events, like George Bush, Neil Armstrong, Bill Cosby, Transformers-2, facebook etc.

Anyways, it seems an interesting and great start to possibly a great show. I'm looking forward for more.

Note: These ratings and review are personal opinion of the author.

@GameOfThrones | Mother's Mercy (4/4)

I know, I'm a week late. But I didn't get time to watch the season 5 finale, until now. And was it crazy? It was! 

***spoilers*** 

Jon Snow's dead? I'm not honestly sure. Although there was lot of blood. But he didn't get decapitated. Plus, Melisandre is back. So, she might revive him? Or will she revive Stannis? Although, he didn't get decapitated either. Just a flung sword, but we didn't see more. So, he may not be dead either. I'm not trusting GOT, but we know that anyone can die (except Daenerys & Tyrion, I think) in GOT. But still, Jon Snow's murder was a HUGE shocker. I did not expect that, I did not see it coming. He was finally seeming less mopey and more fun. Specially after last episode where he killed a White Walker. I mean, c'mon, why kill him now? WHY? 

The other shocker for me was "Cersei's Walk of Shame". I didn't expect that either. Not that brutal. Even though most of us pretty much hate her, we still felt bad. That's good writing, good acting, good direction and good character development. Good Job!... But these guys are F*ed now. She won't leave them. I'm just wondering what kinda brutal death she has in mind from them. Atterall "The Mountain" is back and he's upgraded to version-2.

Rest of the things were quite expected, but still leave BIG cliffhangers... Daenerys is back with Dothrakis. Isn't she still the Khaleesi? It should work out, right? Else there's always the sleepy dragon, Drogon. And we are all happy about Tyrion taking over Mereen. And with Varys back, it's going to be awesome!

I'm not sure how to feel about Myrcella's death. The father-daughter scene was interesting, but lasted like 5 seconds. Although, they should have never trusted the Sands... Finally Theon woke-up from being Reek, but seems he thinks of himself as Superman now. He plans on jumping off the Fort wall with Sansa and flying off? Or just end up with shattered knees and broken legs, to crawl out of Winterfell? We will see...

And I really don't care about Arya getting blind. Although her killing of Trant was cool. He deserved and she deserved it too. To kill him and get blind, both. You can't be slapping faces on and not listening to "no one". 

****spoliers end***

So the episode was interesting and fun. Yet again, great performances and amazing cinematography. I can't wait for season-6 already. I know we have to, and I'm waiting already!

Note: These ratings and review are personal opinion of the author.