The pseudo-horror film Red State may be the finest film director Kevin Smith has made, but also his most infuriating at the same time.

Set in the fictional location of Cooper’s Dell, Red State tells the story of Abin Cooper (Michael Parks) and his Five Points Church; a group so radical that even Neo-Nazis have distanced themselves from the congregation as we learn very early on in the film.  It seems that pastor Cooper and his congregation have come to the conclusion that it is time they hasten the coming of the Rapture, and help God to sort out the sinners from the faithful.  They lure the evil people into their fold with promises of fulfilling their carnal desires, and then take care of ushering these evildoers to their greater reward.

What appears above is the most simplistic explanation of the connecting thread of this film, but there are so many concepts circulating around the edges that you could never precisely do a summary of it without spoiling a ton of the story.  And that, sadly, is what keeps me from saying I love this movie as opposed to just liking it.

I am an unabashed fan of Kevin Smith.  Even since the first time I watched Clerks – his 1990′s ode to slacker/service industry culture – I have followed every move of this man’s career, and to this day I listen to hours of podcasts he produces each week, but even I can admit when things go slightly awry with his work.  Red State is an ambitious film filled with ideas, theories, proclamations and acting moments that will leave you amazed.  It is also the next to last film of Smith’s career, and that seems to make it suffer somewhat.  Smith was clearly overflowing with ideas he could base around the Cooper family, but instead of focusing on just one or two, he essentially ended up making three vignettes that were strung together and clocked in at under 90 minutes.  The frantic pacing of some scenes left you puzzled as other scenes were given a tremendous amount of breathing room such as Michael Parks fantastic sermon scene.  You would then speed through other story points to leap to another mesmerizing scene from John Goodman or Kerry Bishé.  Smith knew he had some fantastic material and talent on his hands, but he seemed unsure of how to fit it all into one neat little package without sacrificing other moments.

From a directing standpoint, this is is clearly his most mature film.  This is no longer the film school kid trying his hand at making a movie in a convenience store, this is a seasoned veteran who has grown up and acquired more faith in his own talents.  When he isn’t racing you from one scene to another, when he allows the actors to perform they’re craft, you are in for a treat that makes the entire film worth it.  All of the onscreen talent is at the top of their games here, and considering how the majority of them took next to no pay to help bring this film in on a budget of $4 million, it is all that more impressive.

As I watched the film, I quickly realized that there was really enough material here for three films, and Smith also seemed to realize it as evidenced by the fact the end credits are broken into three sections: Sex, Religion and Politics.  Perhaps if the film had even a slightly longer running time, or Smith had found a way to cut one of the three sections – Sex could have easily been trimmed to expand the other two – this would have been one of my all time favorite films, but instead I found myself just really liking it as opposed to loving it.

And that is where I need to clarify myself to you, the reader.  Despite everything I have said here, I still recommend this film, but as someone who has followed it’s creation from day one, I was left wanting more.  Going into this movie with no knowledge as my mom and dad, they both loved it, and both thought it was Smith’s best film to date.  As someone who is rabid in his love of all things Smith, I know what it could have been, and that just left me at the level of “like” as opposed to “love.”

Post from: SeanPAune.com

Red State Review – 3 Movies in One

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Flogging Molly have returned with their fifth studio album, and the first released on their own record label, Thirty Tigers.  Is it a worthy addition to their growing discography of live and studio albums?  Yes.

Ever since I fell in love with Flogging Molly with their first studio album, Swagger, I have approached each album with trepidation.  ”Is this the album where they’ll finally fall apart and I’ll only have good memories to live off of?”  Each album has take two to three listens for me to finally make up my mind, but with Speed of Darkness, I was immediately in love.

The band finally starts to stretch its legs a bit creatively adding in new sounds (piano on ”The Cradle of Humankind”) and finally allowing fiddle player Bridget Regan to sing a duet with her husband, band founder Dave King, on ”A Prayer For Me in Silence.”

This isn’t to say that the entire album is a work of art.  For the first time ever, there may be a song I skip in future listenings entitled “The Heart of the Sea.”  This song sounds like it’s trying to go in too many directions at once, and it can never seem to settle on one.  Considering their body of work, and this is the first time I’ve ever gone, “er … no thanks,” that’s a pretty good batting average.  It may grow on me with time, but for now I suggest leaving it at the bottom of the sea.

One thing that has always been a recurring theme with this band has been the plight of the working man, and this album ratchets that up even a notch further.  It could be because King and Regan now live in Detroit, and in fact, the song “The Power’s Out” is all about the decay that now surrounds them.

There is something that can definitely be said about this album over their previous efforts, and that is that it is possibly their most accessible to the general public.  The sound has been softened slightly, but not to a degree that should anger long standing fans, only enough that I could potentially see new people giving them a try, and that is never a bad ting.

Enjoy their first single, “Don’t Shut ‘Em Down”, and make sure to pick up the album if you get a chance.

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Flogging Molly: Speed of Darkness Review

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The trailers for Cowboys & Aliens has been getting movie fans all jazzed up, but lets just hope it’s a lot different than the comic book it’s based on.

I had heard of the Cowboys & Aliens comic, but passed on reading it when it was first released.  Now that I’ve seen the trailer for the film, I was far more intrigued.  I ordered up a copy of the hardcover re-release of the comic created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and gave it a read through.

I’ll save you having to read the rest of the review:  It’s horrible and should be avoided at all costs.

While the concept is intriguing, it’s obvious that Mr. Rosenberg has no clue what to do with it once he had the name.  The characters are extremely flat and lack any sense of motivation to their actions.  The plot, what there is of it, is extremely predictable and feels more like a paint-by-numbers work than anything approximating originality.  This may be the fault of co-writers Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley than of Rosenberg himself, but whomever is responsible should feel shame at their name being attached to this piece of drek.

Luciano Lima’s art also leaves a lot to be desired.  His anatomy is very loose, and his designs for aliens, their technology and what they wear borders on the sophomoric.  His work looks like what you submit to an art school in hopes of going to get some training to improve what talents you have, and not the polished work one would expect from a published work.  It’s extremely flat, lacking in details and has no real sense of motion.

There have been some rumors that the book was put together more as a pitch to movie studios than as any sort of serious work, and, if true,  it shows.  There is no passion here for the project, it is a culmination of people coming in, punching a clock and leaving when their shift is over.  This is not “art”, it’s filler.

The good news is that the footage shown in the trailer for the films bears little to no resemblance of the story in the comic.  The main character in the comic doesn’t have amnesia, nor does he wake up with alien tech on his wrist that he doesn’t know where it came from.  The Harrison Ford character isn’t in the comic at all.  And while there is a female that shares what looks to share one scene with the portrayal by Olivia Wilde, there are no other similarities thus far.  In short, the film looks to share only the concept in common with the comic, and, for once, that is an extremely good thing.

While I normally berate Hollywood for deviating from source material, this is one time I can honestly tell you that they are doing us a favor.  The original comic borders on being unreadable, it is just that bad.  While I am known for a harsh critic, my father actually picked up my copy one day without my knowledge and read it.  He is known for not having the most discriminating of tastes, and when he told me he had read it, I dreaded hearing what he would have to say about it.  His review was just six words, “What the hell was that mess?”

I’d say go for the movies, folks, but just the one time I would suggest you stay as far away from the original as you can.

Post from: SeanPAune.com

Cowboys & Aliens Graphic Novel Review

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The first season of The Walking Dead has come to a close, and … how is this show getting such high ratings?

[Spoiler warning from here on out]

As I said before, the show was diverging wildly from the comic book, and since that time I decided to watch it just as a TV show … and that didn’t help much.  So, going to a hybrid of comic book differences/judging it as a TV show, how did it do?

Moving Away From The Comic

Robert Kirkman, creator of the comic and Executive Producer of the TV series, has stated time and time again we wouldn’t know what caused the plague, but yet we got more answers in episode six than we have in the entire comic.  We also learned that the zombies are worldwide, another thing we haven’t learned in the comic series.  Mr. Kirkman told TV Guide that he approved of the changes, and that we’ll never know the whole story, but he liked what was teased.  Why he felt the need for this is beyond me, but it’s his to do with as he pleases.

The biggest problem I have with the changes plays somewhat into the TV problems also, but characters have had their entire personalities changed.  In the comic, Rick had leadership thrust upon him, and he constantly fights with his need to be a good leader and the fact he really doesn’t want to be.  In the TV series he just seems to be taking it on and not questioning it at all.

Andrea, my favorite character in the comic, seems whinier and just not nearly as interesting.  They also seem to have aged her somewhat which greatly changes some of her motivations and reactions.

The visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta pretty much told me will never see the lengthy prison story arc as it borrowed ideas from that section.  (specifically the quick conversation about all of the books)  I understand that this show is going to interject its own take on the overall story, but cutting the prison is like removing the middle section of a book.  Perhaps things will happen at a different location, but the location was almost like a character for a bit of the series, and I’m not sure how they’ll get around this.  (Plus, if they want to bring in the Woodbury crew, they have to put Rick’s crew in a desirable location)

Kirkman explained to TV Guide:

Nothing in the show is going to go down exactly the same way it does in the comic

[...]

One thing that’s very important to me is that no one comes into this television show having read the comic knowing exactly what’s going to happen. We’re always going to change things up and keep people guessing.

Fine, it’s your creation, but remember the comic is what drew us into the show.  Changing everything, especially motivations, makes it a lot less desirable to watch.

Shall I go into Shane/Lori?  No, I won’t bother because it would be an entire essay on how badly you’ve changed these characters.  I never liked Lori in the comic, and I like her even less in the TV series … thanks for that.

The zombies in the comic can’t run or climb, and you know what?  They’re more frightening than the ones in the TV series that can do all that.

As A TV Show: Stop Dumbing Everything Down

The TV show is doing a great disservice to its viewing audience by assuming they need everything spelled out for them.  In the comic book we never met Carol’s abusive husband, and there was no need to meet him in the series.  Talk about the abuse all you want, but seeing him being a jerk served no purpose but to take up time.

On the flip side, you drop in things and don’t explain why they leave.  You added the gang controlled retirement home, which I did actually find intriguing, and after Rick made peace with the leader, it just goes away.  Rick’s crew needs a new home with the destruction of the CDC, will these two bands join up now?  Sure that may be a season two plot point, but I doubt it since that discussion should have happened as soon as they made peace, and definitely before Rick got the idea to head to the CDC.  It was a fairly secure building, and with even more survivors it would have been even more secure.

You are also guilty of building tension and then giving us no pay back for it.  Go back to episode two and the whole sewer system bit.  Why was that there?  Nothing happened … nada … zip … zero.  Oh, wait, there was a zombie on the other side of a gate they couldn’t get through any way.  One or the other would have been fine, but both just felt like you were saying, “Oh, we haven’t shown you a zombie for a bit, here ya go, have one.”

Then you did the unforgivable in the finale … the ear whisper.  As soon as I saw Dr. Jenner whispering in Rick’s ear, I wanted to throw a shoe at the TV.

Talk about a forced tactic to bring viewers back and to try to create buzz. “Oh man, what do you think Jenner said?!? Did you see Rick’s face?!?” Just … stop. For the love of the audience, just stop. You aren’t Lost, we don’t need a bunch of mysteries. (“Where’s Merle?” “What did Jenner say?”) You hooked us, we’re coming back, just tell a good story, don’t force stereotypes down our throats (please leave Merle wherever he is), don’t try going the mystery route, just tell us a decent story about humanity.

Stunt Casting?

If the rumors about Charlie Sheen are true … screw you and your show.

Was It Worth It?

Personally, I can’t decide.  Vacillating between anger over changes to the comic and the audience being treated like third graders, I kept coming back, but it was with less enthusiasm each week.  The season finale set ratings records, so I’m obviously in the minority, but please, you can still save this show, just fix it.

Post from: SeanPAune.com

Reflections On The First Season Of The Walking Dead

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Who’s up for a review of a game months after it came out?  I know I am!

Released last May, Red Dead Redemption (affiliate link) held no interest for me.  Many people referred to it as “Grand Theft Auto in the old west”, and considering I haven’t played any GTA games, and I’m not a huge fan of cowboy stories, I saw no way this game would be to my tastes.

Boy was I wrong.

After numerous stellar reviews, I picked up a copy on sale figuring that the reviews couldn’t be that far off the mark, and I was growing weary of first person shooters any way.  So, a game that most people say takes 70 hours to complete sounded like a welcome diversion.  It took me a while to get around to starting it as my work schedule is so nuts, but now I can’t put the game down, and I’m only about a third of the way through it.

You play as John Marston, a former criminal who has been retained by the government to go after a former crime partner.  While this is the driving force of the game, there is so much to do in the world that you sometimes have to remind yourself to get back to the main story.  You can set off on “stranger missions” which are little side stories given to you by random characters you meet, hunt bounties, hunt wild game, play gambling games such as Texas Hold ‘Em, clear out gang hideouts and on and on and on.

The graphics are top notch, especially considering the size of the world, while the gameplay is responsive and easy to pick up.  And most importantly, the story is engaging.  You want to know where it’s going, and what will happen next.  Unfortunately, I stumbled into a major spoiler while looking up how to do something in the game, and I’ll leave it out of this post, but trust me, you have no clue what’s coming towards the end.

Is Red Dead Redemption for everyone?  No, of course not, no game is, but I think you may be surprised just how many people it is for.  As someone not into this style of game, or even the setting, I can say it won me over, so I imagine it could do the same for a good number of you out there.

Post from: SeanPAune.com

Red Dead Redemption Review

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After reading the first 12 collected volumes of The Walking Dead, I was insanely pumped up for this TV series.

I should have known better.

Although I knew they had changed numerous things in the series from just the commercials, they are completely changing characters and their motivations.  (Spoiler warning from here on out)

Lets take Shane and Lori for instance.  In the comic series these two have sex once on the side of the road on the way to Atlanta.  Lori is racked by the guilt of leaving Rick in the hospital back home, torn with fear and she has sex with Shane just to feel something.  Although Shane wants more, Lori keeps the idea of her husband being alive in the front of her mind at all times.

In the television series we are treated to Shane being the one to keep saying, “Oh, Rick’s fine …” and then he and Lori sneak off for making out or having sex.  Lori has gone from a flawed human with one indiscretion to apparently the camp floozy.

That is just one change, although I feel completely changing a character’s motivations is fairly significant.  If that is all there was, I might not be so irritated, but we are swimming in new characters, completely pointless new scenes (please, the sewer scene from episode 2 was such obvious padding for time that it was actually insulting) and entirely new sub-plots such as Rick seeing a helicopter fly over Atlanta.

While I understand not wanting to do a slavish interpretation of the comic, the fact that series creator Robert Kirkman is involved leads to me being surprised.  If we’re supposed to treat this as a different imagining of the story, even that would be fine, but we’re you’re tell is … well … boring.  The comic is insanely gripping, and the TV series just feels like I’m moving from scene to scene with no real emotional connection to what is going on.

I’m not going to give up on it for the time being, but I’m certainly not looking forward to it each week like I thought I would. Do yourself a favor and pick-upThe Walking Dead (affiliate link) comic series if you want to see what it can be like, and you’ll instantly understand why this has been so disappointing thus far.

Post from: SeanPAune.com

The Walking Dead Is Getting Everything Wrong

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Have you ever sat down to watch a show you were looking forward to, and then discovered it may be one the worst things ever televised? That’s exactly what happened to me recently, and man was it dreadfully painful.

I’ve been running a bit behind in my TV watching as the week I was in Philadelphia was the big week for television premieres. I finally got around to $#*! My Dad Says, and I have to say it was the first time in a very long, long time that I can remember not even finishing a one episode.  Usually I feel compelled to finish what I start, but I just couldn’t do it with this show.

I normally enjoy William Shatner, but the writing of this show was just abysmal: Predictable, pedestrian, cliché and just about any other term you can think of for describing your worst nightmare of a sitcom.  While I worried about this show having a limited number of plots, I’m not even sure it had one.

The sad thing is, it’s getting decent enough ratings for networks to look at possibly making at least one other sitcom based off of Twitter activity.  Ugh.  Why?  One is bad enough.

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$#*! My Dad Says Is Just Awful

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How do you know a TV show has gone on too long? When your sixth season opens and we still haven’t met the character mentioned in the title.

I’ve given up on reviewing TV shows in general, but I have now just reached a point of anger with How I Met Your Mother. The concept was cute at the beginning that we would see Ted sitting down with his kids in 2030 and telling them how he and their mother met. As the show has progressed, the producers have informed us that Ted is telling this story to his kids in one sitting, but that story telling has now entered its sixth season.

Yes, that’s right, for six season Ted’s kids, and in turn the audience, have dealt with every little nuance of a seemingly endless story.  With each woman Ted meets and dates you get a moment of hopefulness that we have finally met her, but then we’re once again smashed.  We have clues to her identity (that frikkin’ yellow umbrella), but never any pay off.

I have mainly continued to watch due to my love of Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan, but having seen the sixth season premiere, I just don’t know if I can take any more.  The main reason is that we have been pretty well led to believe the mother is the roommate of a woman Ted had one disastrous date with.  He ran into this girl at his usual bar, and she was talking with a blonde woman that Ted thought might be the roommate whom he has only seen the ankle of, and we spend the whole episode thinking that perhaps we are finally closer than ever before to meeting her.

Except, of course she wasn’t, and the eventual act of the two women kissing (apparently said girl realized she was a lesbian after dating Ted) was telegraphed so early in the episode that it was actually sad to watch it play out.

The writing of the series has become pathetic as they attempt to stretch out this never ending search for the mother, and this is mainly because I think they’ve come to realize that once we meet her, we just simply won’t care any more.  The title sets up the situation, and the mother is the MacGuffin.  Once she’s introduced there just won’t be anything driving the plot.  Sure they could show us the course of the relationship, but no one would care if they hit a rough patch because, well, you know, she’s the mother Ted is talking about in 2030.

It’s time to call it a day folks.  When people are making the videos like the one below, you know you’ve just gone too far.

Post from: SeanPAune.com

How I Met Your Mother Just Needs To End

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***MAJOR SPOILERS***

Characters Seen:
Amy
Andrew
Angel
Buffy
Dawn
Faith
Giles
Warren
Willow
Xander

(Yes, I’m still catching up!)

Xander goes to talk to Buffy, offering her some sort of food he refers to as “pirate’s booty”, I’m assuming it’s popcorn, but as usual, the interior art of this book is just not that great.

Buffy tells Xander that she isn’t in the mood for a pep talk, but he tells her that has been some of their best times over the years.  We finally see that Buffy is hovering several feet off the ground while sitting cross-legged.  She laments that she can only do this because she is taking the power from dead Slayers, as was revealed last issue.  Xander tells her this doesn’t make her a bad person, it just makes her like the Highlander.

This doesn’t amuse Buffy, and she reminds him that since they started this whole thing with all of the Slayer girls, 206 have died, and she has absorbed powers from each of them.  Xander tells her this doesn’t make her a bad person, but as she sees it, it makes her a vampire.

We cut to “Villain HQ” (that’s how the book labels it, and we see Twilight telling Andrew, Faith and Giles that he’s thinking of a number.  And he wonders who should die first, running down their names, although he forgets Andrew’s name until he says it.  As he keeps talking, Giles says he knows that voice, and Twilight says of course he does …

Xander continues his pep talk, telling Buffy that she was chosen for a reason, that she is getting these powers for a reason.  She says that is a better pep talk, and he says it’s from the first Superman movie.  Willow appears as a giant glowing head and asks if the speech worked, Xander says not to appear as a giant head, as giant heads are bad.  She asks if the Superman speech worked, and Buffy says she just wants to know what it is they are doing.  Xander says the same thing they “always do, Pinky, find the big bad and kick him in the boulders.”

Faith lunges at Twilight to attack him.  Twilight snatches her around the throat in mid-lunge and reminds her this isn’t a fair fight.  She asks why he thinks she is fighting fair, and kicks him in the crotch.  Twilight looks down, then back to Faith and asks “And what makes you think ‘invulnerable’ isn’t ‘all over’?” And promptly slams her head into the floor.

Willow and Amy are preparing to cast a spell to de-cloak the HQ.  It turns out Amy hid it three seconds in the future, and that’s why the Scoobies have been unable to locate it.  Once the cloaking shield drops, the Slayers will be able to move in.  Buffy says she can sense Twilight has hurt Faith.  Satsu says its weird, but Buffy says she can sense all the Slayers now.  Warren is complaining about how Twilight stole his HQ, but the General says he will have it back soon enough.  This concerns Dawn, but Xander tells her they’ll worry about them later.

The story begins flipping back and forth … the spell is decloaking the the HQ … Twilight is taunting Faith to get back up … Buffy is preparing to fly to wherever the HQ is … Giles is shocked by Twilight’s speed and invulnerability, to which he responds he can fly also, and that Giles knows where this is leading.  Faith asks when he means, and Twilight seems shocked that Giles hasn’t told her, or Buffy, that with all of his travelling he has it figured out, but hasn’t told her what she has become, or what is to come.

Something this Twilight in the back of the head, and he asks Andrew if he just hit him in the head with a Frisbee.  We see Andrew wearing an Iron Man glove, a Punisher vest, a Batman utility belt, carrying a Captain America shield, a Star Trek tricorder and an X-Wing helmet while he says “It’s clobberin’ time.”

Buffy gets the location, and before Satsu can finish saying “Go”, she’s gone.  Twilight is choking Andrew when the side of the castle he is in starts to burst in … next we see Buffy punching Twilight in the stomach and flying through the opposite castle wall pushing him in front of her.

You listen to me, Twilight — My god, is that really the name you picked?  Twilight?  Y’know I lived that idea first, right?  (and my vampire was so much better.)

Twilight says “Yeah.” as he removes his mask, cutting to Buffy’s shocked look.

Angel says, “I missed you too.”  (yep, Angel is Twilight)  Buffy drops him.

Andrew asks Giles if they won, but Giles says Twilight is definitely Angel.  Andrew is sure she will beat him, but Giles says not this time, that regardless of what she does, there is no winning.

Angel is searching the woods for Buffy, he says she is more powerful than he had hoped, that it was the first blow he has felt in a long time and thet she needs to think about what has happened.  Meanwhile, Buffy tears a huge tree out of the ground and concludes that it must be Angelus.  (To which he yells out, “And don’t think I’m Angelus either.”)  Buffy screams for him to stop talking, and that not talking was one of his best assets.  She sharpens the tree she pulled out of the ground to make it into a giant stake, and promptly throws it at Angel to only see it disintegrate as it slams into his chest.

Xander, Satsu and Willow can hear the fight going on and hear sonic booms.

Buffy goes at him, screaming about his killing 206 of her girls.  Angel explains this was going to happen no matter what, that governments were lining up against her and the Slayers, so he put on a mask, talked of master plans, and tried to slow them down.  She continues trying to punch him as he dodges, saying that he pushed her to absorb these powers of her dead friends.  He asks who said that.  Willow?  He thought she’s see further than that, and that isn’t why she has these powers.

She finally connects a punch, sending him flying.  He says it won’t make her feel better no matter how many times she hits him.  He says the increased power both of them is experiencing, that this is what they have been waiting for, what they’ve earned and what they need.  Buffy tells him to shut up, she says he must be lying to her because why else would he hide all this time?  He says he wasn’t hiding, there he was in L.A., things got funky, but now he’s better.

Buffy says she doesn’t care and that she wants to know why he’s been putting them through this.  He says she fundamentally shifted the balance of power, and whenever that happens, people die.  Angel says that he came up with the mask and cult to distract the bad guys, and to help her focus.  He says the twist she feels in her stomach isn’t rage, confusion or guilt, it’s her feeling him, “us.”

She knows he’s right, but refuses to admit it.  He tells her to notice the glow on her arm every time it gets close to him, but she says he is imagining the glow.  (Willow, Satsu and Xander wonder why they hear nothing, Willow thinks they’re talking)  Angel says her glow is expanding, and she still insists he is imagining it.  Angel tells her to let go, let her body tell the truth, and that is they are both experiencing joy, even more than he imagined they would feel.  He says this is for them, that this is their future.

Buffy says he doesn’t know her like he used to.

He admits he might now, but he also knows there’s a reason they are standing there, both possessing so much power.  There’s a reason he has loved her since he first saw here, and there is a reason they are both glowing and the fact that even though he is standing there with all this power in him, all he feels is weak.  He’s terrified she will leave before they can explore what this is, and that just for once it looks like the right thing to do is the one that will bring them happiness.  Doesn’t she want to experience joy?

They stare at one another …

They float …

They kiss …

Satsu asks what the sound is, Willow says “I think they’re f#@%ing.”

Well, there you go folks.  it’s Angel is Twilight.  I would love to have someone explain his power … and how it is he’s out in the sunlight.  Perhaps in the next couple of issues they’ll explain it.

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Post from: SeanPAune.com

Buffy Season 8, Issue 33

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***MAJOR SPOILERS***

Characters Seen:
Amy
Andrew
Buffy
Dawn
Faith
Giles
Warren
Willow
Xander

(Yes, I am horribly late with this, and I do apologize, but regular life got in the way.  I am going to try to catch up as quickly as I can)

This is the first chapter of a new four-part story arc simply entitled “Twilight”, so you can imagine it is going to deal heavily with the Big Bad we’ve been seeing since issue #1 of this “season”, but have had no clue who who or what he was.

When we left off in issue #31, we saw Buffy fly, and now it’s time for the Scoobies to figure out what is causing this bout of super powers for our favorite Slayer.  Xander, Buffy and Dawn are out in the woods, and Xander is loading a gun.  Honestly, the banter here is classic Buffy, and I could reprint it all, but suffice it to say, this is a must read couple of pages.

After a brief argument if Buffy should start from a standing or squatting position, she finally agrees to squat, Xander fires the gun, and … Buffy runs and catches up with the bullet to see Xander scratched “Goonies Never Say Die” into the side of it.  Buffy catches the bullet and asks if that’s neat, Xander tells her “No … ”

The reason it isn’t is because next he has her lifting a train while he takes a picture of it with his iPhone.

Next up is seeing if Buffy can leap to the top of a mountain, she tells Xander she can make it, scoops him up and says, “Don’t worry, I got you.”  Xander plays Lois Lane from the Superman: The Movie by saying, “You’ve got me?  Who’s got you?!?”  (If you haven’t picked up on the Superman motif here yet …)

Dawn goes to Willow and tells her that this is bad because no one gets power without paying a price.  Dawn is bothered by how casual Xander and Buffy are taking this, and says even Andrew would take this more seriously … which makes then wonder where Andrew is.  As they keep talking, Willow calls Satsu and asks her where he is … and where are Faith and Giles, but no one is quite sure. As Willow and Dawn continue to talk, Willow wonders if Dawn is jealous of Buffy and Xander spending time together, but she assures her all is well there now.

Meanwhile, Xander is outside trying to figure out what other powers Buffy has, naming off a slew of things, including asking if she can shoot arrows.  All the while Willow tries to suggest this is just a temporary reward from the universe for defeating the Goddesses from the previous fight.  As the scenes keep inter-cutting between the two, Willow decides to cast a calling spell to see why no one seems to know where Andrew, Faith and Giles are,

And 7.2 miles away, Warren, Amy and an Army general are watching Buffy try out her new powers.  Amy refers to them as “nerd-a-trons” for doing the “faster than a speeding bullet” test.

Willow snaps to a realization … she now knows Andrew, Faith and Giles are gone.  (A cut to Amy shows she knows Willow has finally figured it out) The Scoobies go inside to do a search by magicks, Willow says even with all the Slayers in the world, Faith will be the easiest to focus on and she casts a spell that will take her to the Slayer who needs her the most.  (Amy senses her leave)

Willow pops up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia … Willow hates transporting as it makes her gassy, and she says the place smells of old eggs, urine and rusty pennies.  As she looks around, you see a form in chains, and Willow says, “My Goddess.”

Meanwhile Buffy returns to Xander and Dawn after flying to all of Giles’ known safe houses in the U.K. and Budapest, and nothing.  They’re hope now is Willow finds something …

Willow pops up in the Port of Miami in a shipping container.  It smells of metal.  She casts a light spell and spots something human flesh colored, she thinks Andrew is playing a joke on her, but she gasps when she gets closer.

We see Giles, Faith and Andrew waking up on a floor, and as they come around, it’s Andrew who realizes they are in the villain HQ because, well, he designed it.  It is exactly what he and Warren had always discussed building, and it’s all there down to the last detail.

Once again Willow transports, and this time it is Morgan City, LA.  Again she smells odd smells, but this time, there is a Slayer alive, although just barely.  Her name is Cori, she met Willow at training in Atlanta, and she is on the verge of death.  Something about a mob attacking them, and then we see the swamp is filled with the bodies of dead Slayers.

Buffy discovers she has telescopic vision, she can see as far as Greece and an older couple … “Ew.  Ew, like Internet Ew!”  She looks around the more general vicinity they are in and she spots … Warren, Amy and the General.  She runs to them at hyper-speed and then hovers in front of them to confront them.  They explain that Twilight kicked them out, and they are looking to get even, even if it means working with Buffy.

Willow pops back in, she’s figured out Buffy’s powers.  It isn’t a gift from defeating the Goddesses … it’s coming from all of the dead Slayers.  As each Slayer dies, it makes Buffy more powerful.

Andrew breaks through the electronics on the door to the room holding himself, Giles and Faith, only to find Twilight standing on the other side, looking to tell them of his master plan.

Overall a good “episode”, quick paced, witty and very much in the vein of the actual series.  Probably one of my favorite installments of the entire “season.”

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Post from: SeanPAune.com

Buffy Season 8, Issue 32

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