Wicked Theory: August 2021

8/29/2021

DC TV Report for week ending 8/28/2021

- Li’l Eddie O’Hare

Welcome to the DC TV Report for the week ending Saturday August 28th, 2021. I'm here to bring you recaps, news and commentary for all live-action television shows based on DC Comics. There were 4 new episodes this week including 1 premiere.

Sunday - 8/22/2021

DC's Legends of Tomorrow - S06E13 "Silence of the Sonograms" 1) A new clone of Bishop allowed Sara to lock him up and offered to help Ava with her wedding plans. 2) On advice from Bishop, Mick poured a nutrient mix in his ear and went into labor. 3) Zari asked Astra for help getting John to detox from magic. Last Minute Reveal: After being thrown around the room by himself, Constantine took a magic swig and decided to listen to Bishop's proposal!

Tuesday - 8/24/2021

DC's Stargirl - S02E03 "Summer School Chapter Three" 1) Mike picked up a pen and became the new controller of Johnny Thunder's magical Thunderbolt. 2) Pat, Courtney and the JSA took their time to carefully plan how to locate and capture Richard Swift aka the Shade. Last Minute Reveal: The Shade stood looking over Blue Valley with the empty box that once contained the Black Diamond and commented that Pat will get all of those kids killed!

Supergirl - Midseason 6 Premiere "Welcome Back, Kara" 1) Kara was happy to be home but became overwhelmed getting back in the flow of working for Andrea and dealing with post-traumatic stress. 2) Zor-El took it upon himself to try solving Earth's ecological crisis and avoid the mistakes he made on Krypton. 3) Nia and Lena bonded talking about grieving their lost mothers. Last Minute Reveal: Nia woke up in the middle of the night and cried out "Nxly!"

Thursday - 8/26/2021

Titans - S03E05 "Lazarus" 1) After escaping the GCPD into the woods, Scarecrow told Jason of his plan to unleash fear and terror upon Gotham so they could provide the answer. 2) 3 months earlier, Jason was disappointed that Bruce made him see Dr. Leslie Tompkins for therapy. Last Minute Reveal: Molly Jensen begged the newly red-hooded Jason to seek help and cried as he walked away!

Ed’s Winner for the Week: Super gizmos and serums - We saw all of our heroes using remarkable items or mixtures this week. Mick had an earful of Bishop's labor-inducing concoction on Legends. Mike clicked a pen and unleashed the Thunderbolt on Stargirl. Supergirl's Dad tricked out a robot to solve the ocean garbage problem. Finally on Titans, Jason followed Scarecrow's instructions to produce his "Fear antidote."

News

DC's Legends Of Tomorrow Just Gave Fans Something Nearly As Great As The TV Show

https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2572416/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-fans-something-great-as-tv-show-soundtrack

‘DC’s Stargirl’: Neil Hopkins & Joy Osmanski Promoted To Series Regulars For Season 3

https://deadline.com/2021/08/dc-stargirl-neil-hopkins-joy-osmanski-promoted-series-regulars-season-3-1234823057/

Supergirl star Melissa Benoist promises Kara-Lena relationship is 'stronger than ever this season'

https://ew.com/tv/supergirl-melissa-benoist-season-6-kara-lena-nyxly/

‘The Flash’: Tony Curran Joins CW Series As Despero For Season 8

https://deadline.com/2021/08/the-flash-tony-curran-joins-cw-series-despero-season-8-1234822486/

‘The Flash’: Lineup of Superheroes & Villains Revealed For 5-Part Season 8 Launch Event

https://deadline.com/2021/08/the-flash-lineup-of-superheroes-villains-revealed-for-5-part-season-8-launch-event-1234821825/

DeMane Davis Signs Warner Bros. TV Deal, Joins CW’s ‘Naomi’ as Co-Executive Producer

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/demane-davis-wbtv-creative-deal-1235047004/

New ‘Naomi’ Set Image Reveals Star Kaci Walfall in Ava DuVernay’s Superhero Series

https://collider.com/naomi-set-image-kaci-walfall-ava-duvernay/

Michelle Gomez brings Madame Rouge to Doom Patrol in new season 3 photos

https://ew.com/tv/michelle-gomez-madame-rouge-doom-patrol-season-3-photos/

8/22/2021

DC TV Report for week ending 8/21/2021

- Li’l Eddie O’Hare

Welcome to the DC TV Report for the week ending Saturday August 21st, 2021. I'm here to bring you recaps, news and commentary for all live-action television shows based on DC Comics. There were 4 new episodes this week including 1 finale.

Sunday - 8/15/2021

DC's Legends of Tomorrow - S06E12 "Bored on Board Onboard" 1) The Legends murder mystery role play was ruined when Constantine's magical roid rage made him decide to make the game real. 2) While everyone else was trapped in the game, Gary and Mick were surprised when an injured Kayla docked with the drifting Waverider. Last Minute Reveal: Sara heard music down the hall and was dumbstruck by what she found!

Tuesday - 8/17/2021

DC's Stargirl - S02E02 "Summer School Chapter Two" 1) Courtney was feeling jealous after Pat took in Jenny Hayden and tried to teach her how to use her father's green lantern and ring. 2) Barbara got a creepy vibe from a dapper antiques collector named Richard Swift. 3) Cindy used the Eclipso gem on her stepmother Bobbie, who began hearing voices telling her to try and kill Cindy. Last Minute Reveal: Cindy was upset the Eclipso gem took hold of her and turned Bobbie to dust!

Superman and Lois - Season 1 Finale "Last Sons of Krypton" 1) Zeta-Rho inhabited Jordan's body and ordered Tal-Rho to begin the Eradication of Earth in Smallville. 2) Lana and Kyle decided to stay and help General Lane keep the peace in town. 3) Lois asked Clark and John Henry to give her a chance to use telepathic tech to try and reach out to Jordan. Last Minute Reveal: A space vessel crash-landed on the Kent farm and Natalie Irons stepped out, gave her dad John Henry a hug and called Lois "Mom!"

Thursday - 8/19/2021

Titans - S03E04 "Blackfire" 1) Dick snatched Scarecrow during a prison transfer and drove him into the woods to try and draw out Jason. 2) Kory figured out her visions were being sent to her by her sister, Blackfire, who was being kept prisoner in an underground DOD facility. Last Minute Reveal: A sniper's bullet ordered by Barbara hit Dick and allowed Jason to escape!

Ed’s Winner for the Week: Sibling Bonds - All 4 eps this week featured at least one character trying to reconnect or learn more about a sibling. On Legends, Beyrad tried warning Zari that Constantine was bad news. Stargirl featured Jenny believing that learning about her superhero father would help her find her long lost brother. Superman and Lois were saved when Jordan snapped out of his trance before roasting Jonathan. Finally, Starfire's psychic bond with her sister, Blackfire, led to a surprisingly easy prison break on Titans.

News

Superman & Lois Season 2: What to Expect When the Show Returns

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/superman-and-lois-season-2-what-to-expect/

'Titans' star Vincent Kartheiser investigated twice for misconduct allegations on HBO Max series

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/08/15/titans-star-vincent-kartheiser-investigated-misconduct-allegations/8138133002/

Supergirl Season 6 Cast on Something They Learned from The CW Series

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/supergirl-season-6-cast-on-something-they-learned-from-the-cw-series/

Finn Wittrock sets the stage for 'sprawling' Green Lantern series: 'It's not your average superhero story'

https://ew.com/tv/finn-wittrock-green-lantern-series-hbo-max/

New Y: The Last Man Teaser Released

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/y-the-last-man-teaser-trailer-yorick-brown-rumors-fx-hulu/

8/15/2021

DC TV Report for week ending 8/14/2021

- Li’l Eddie O’Hare

Welcome to the DC TV Report for the week ending Saturday August 14th, 2021. I'm here to bring you recaps, news and commentary for all live-action television shows based on DC Comics. There were 6 new episodes this week including 2 premieres and a penultimate episode.

Sunday – 8/8/2021

DC's Legends of Tomorrow - S06E11 "The Final Frame" 1) Sara, Mick, Spooner and Astra found a shiny puzzle box, got transported to a bowling alley in space and were forced to roll against the Pin Killers for the fate of the Earth. 2) Beyrad was not picking up any of the signs that Constantine was roiding out on magic juice. 3) Nate's camping date with Totem Zari was being spoiled by a couple of rich yuppies. 4) Ava asked Gary to help her pick out a wedding dress. Last Minute Reveal: Grateful to have control of his lanes back, Buddy took a group polaroid of the Legends!

Tuesday – 8/10/2021

DC's Stargirl - Season 2 Premiere "Summer School Chapter One" 1) Decades ago, little Rebecca McNider was seduced and then attacked by a creepy boy weilding a purple gem. 2) In the present, Pat's plans for a family road trip were spoiled after Courtney failed two classes and had to go to summer school. 3) Beth was bummed out that she was having trouble rebooting Chuck's consciousness in her goggles and that her parents were getting divorced. 4) Rick discovered signs that Grundy was hiding out in the woods. 5) Yolanda was disturbed that she was still hearing echoes of Brainwave. 6) The Green Lantern's Lantern began flashing. Last Minute Reveal: Cindy Burman looked at photos of kids related to the Injustice Society, including Mike, and the purple gem said it was ready to serve her!

Superman and Lois - Season 1 Penultimate "The Eradicator" 1) Tal-Rho charged himself up with sunlight and flew to Metropolis with the powers of the Eradicator. 2) Lois convinced her father to speak at a town hall and try to be honest with the people of Smallville. 3) Lana and Kyle went back and forth with their decision to move away. 4) Jordan and Jonathan each tried getting their minds off recent events. Last Minute Reveal: Tal-Rho finished eradicating Jordan with Zeta-Rho's consciousness!

Thursday – 8/12/2021

Titans - Season 3 Premiere "Barbara Gordon" 1) After Jason Todd was murdered, Dick returned to Gotham and was concerned about how Bruce was handling the loss. 2) After the Titans foiled a Gizmo robbery, Gar was a little jealous that he did not have the same following as Conner and Kory. 3) Kory landed a date with some guy named Justin. 4) Young Tim Drake skirted curfew delivering dumplings and idolizing Batman and Robin. Last Minute Reveal: Dick was woken up by an upset Bruce who claimed he had killed the Joker and offered Dick the city!

Titans - S03E02 "Red Hood" 1) Dick brought the Titans to Gotham to help Barbara track a new criminal calling himself Red Hood, who was taking over the underworld and forcing ordinary citizens to commit violent crimes. 2) Hank got antsy living the campus bicycle cop life and decided to follow Dawn to Gotham. 3) Kory's blackout visions persisted. Last Minute Reveal: Dick was so shocked to learn Jason Todd was the Red Hood that he let him get away!

Titans - S03E03 "Hank & Dove" 1) Dick confirmed Jason was still alive and scrambled to find him. 2) Hank was lured into a trap by Jason and left with a bomb hooked up to his heartbeat. 3) Conner and Gar were each having their own existential crisis thinking about Dick's leadership. Last Minute Reveal: Dick held the crying Dawn in his arms after she was tricked by Jason into detonating the bomb and killing Hank!

Ed’s Winner for the Week: Jason Todd's death and resurrection - The murder of Robin and rise of the Red Hood are two comic book storylines I have always enjoyed but never thought I would see told in live-action. While they are being compressed and told back-to-back instead of years apart, their impact remains intact. I only wish we could see more of Batman dealing with it instead of Nightwing. Then again, the show is called Titans.

News

‘Legends of Tomorrow’: Jes Macallan on Directing Constantine’s Dark Turn & What’s Next

https://www.tvinsider.com/1008504/legends-of-tomorrow-constantine-magic-death-jes-macallan/

Titans Season 3's Carrie Kelley & Other Robin Candidates Explained

https://screenrant.com/titans-carrie-kelly-stephanie-brown-robins-explained/

Curran Walters on Bringing Red Hood to 'Titans' Season 3 and Which Episode He's Most Excited for Fans to See

https://collider.com/curran-walters-titans-season-3-interview/

Psychedelic Doom Patrol season 3 teaser previews the arrival of classic villains

https://ew.com/tv/doom-patrol-season-3-teaser-classic-villains/

JAMES GUNN CLARIFIES 'PEACEMAKER' SERIES PLAN, HOW IT FITS WITH THE SUICIDE SQUAD ENDING

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/james-gunn-clarifies-peacemaker-show-details

Chloe fights the Devil in Lucifer final season trailer

https://ew.com/tv/lucifer-season-6-trailer/

‘Y: The Last Man’ EPs & Stars Talk “Opportunity To Blow Up” Gender Binary With Transgender Representation In FX Series

https://deadline.com/2021/08/y-the-last-man-eps-stars-oppourintity-to-blow-up-gender-binary-transgender-representation-fx-series-tca-1234814089/

8/08/2021

DC TV Report for week ending 8/7/2021 Movie Review: The Suicide Squad

- Li’l Eddie O’Hare

Welcome to the DC TV Report for the week ending Saturday August 7th, 2021. I'm here to bring you recaps, news and commentary for all live-action television shows based on DC Comics. There were no new episodes this week but a new DC Movie premiered.

Friday – 8/6/2021

The Suicide Squad - Released 8/6/2021 1) Amanda Waller ordered Col. Rick Flag to storm the beaches of the island nation of Corto Maltese with Harley Quinn and a gaggle of expendable Task Force X inmates. 2) Waller also blackmailed Bloodsport into leading Peacemaker, King Shark, Ratcatcher 2 and Polka-Dot Man on a mission to land on the other side of Corto Maltese, kidnap the Thinker, infiltrate Jotunheim tower and destroy all evidence of Project Starfish. 3) Harley survived the suicide mission and found herself being wined and dined by the Maltesian president who had just stolen power. Last Minute Reveal: Peacemaker clung to life support as Economos and Harcourt arrived at his bedside with orders from Waller on his next mission to save the world!

It is hard to think of a movie that I was more excited for and more disappointed in than 2016’s Suicide Squad. The group of super-villain convicts roped into covert ops missions in exchange for time off their sentence has been one of my favorite comic book teams since I was a teenager and discovered their first adventure written by John Ostrander in the Legends crossover series from 1986. Unfortunately, their maiden voyage on the silver screen was disjointed and void of much of the fun of the books. I believe I appeared on The Wicked Theory Podcast and said watching the movie was like “watching my cousin play a video game by himself.” Fortunately, Warner Bros. decided to take another crack at the idea, added an article to the title and let James Gunn write and direct without studio interference. The results were much more satisfying.

The reason Gunn is the perfect choice to tell this story is not his past success with Marvel, but rather his apprenticeship with Lloyd Kaufman, the King of Filth. Kaufman is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment and director of films such as The Toxic Avenger (1984) and Class of Nuke ‘Em High (1986), which mix obnoxious gore with embarrassingly lewd humor. They are the kind of films that your mother would catch you watching and immediately insist you seek psychiatric care. James Gunn began his career working on multiple Troma projects and has found success taking Kaufman’s sensibilities and making them more palatable for mainstream audiences. The Suicide Squad is the ultimate culmination of that practice.

Not only is this film filled with balls-to-the-wall action and humor but James Gunn’s real magic trick is how he injects all of his characters with pathos and sincerity. As expected, Harley Quinn’s emotional journey continues to develop as it had in the series initial installment and in last year’s Birds of Prey film. It is inspiring to see Harley with her fully developed self-image and the violence that results are some of the most shocking and beautiful ever seen in a comic book movie. More importantly, Gunn somehow found a way to give each and every laughably obscure character a moment of introspective resonance that not only makes you care about them but cry and whale when they are inevitably murdered in horrifying fashion.

To conclude, James Gunn should not only be lauded for delivering the best DC film since Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008) but also for fully restoring the verisimilitude that Richard Donner brought to Superman: The Movie (1978). Fingers crossed that Warner Bros. will use this film as a jumping off point and learn the right lessons from its success.

Ed’s Winner for the Week: James Gunn - Not only did the Marvel director get to work his magic with a DC property but the film's R-rating allowed him to achieve the purest expression of his style with a blockbuster budget. I cannot think of anyone winning on a bigger scale in any week since I started this report.

News

‘Legends of Tomorrow’: Jes Macallan on Directing, Her Special Guest Star & the Avalance Wedding

https://www.tvinsider.com/1008492/legends-of-tomorrow-jes-macallan-directing-nic-bishop-ava-sara/

Keesha Sharp To Direct Episodes Of ‘Our Kind Of People’, ‘Charmed’ & ‘Superman & Lois’

https://deadline.com/2021/08/keesha-sharp-direct-episodes-our-kind-of-people-charmed-superman-lois-1234810698/

‘Stargirl’ Boss and Cast Tease More Romance Is Coming in Season 2

https://decider.com/2021/08/03/dc-stargirl-season-2-romance/

DC's Stargirl star Brec Bassinger explains why season 2 'will really shock people'

https://ew.com/tv/dcs-stargirl-brec-bassinger-season-2-preview/

Melissa Benoist marks end of filming on Supergirl final season: 'That's a wrap'

https://ew.com/tv/melissa-benoist-marks-end-of-filming-supergirl-final-season/

Titans Actress Explains How Close Season 3 Sticks To Comic Stories For Oracle, Batgirl And The Joker

https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2571548/titans-actress-season-3-sticks-comic-stories-oracle-batgirl-joker-savannah-welch

James Gunn on ‘The Suicide Squad,’ “Grounded” ‘Peacemaker’ and the Day Kevin Feige Came to Set

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/suicide-squad-james-gunn-peacemaker-guardians-3-1234993608/

Every Confirmed Justice League Dark Show And Movie

https://screenrant.com/justice-league-dark-show-movie-every/

Lucifer Season 6 Poster Assembles The Entire Cast To Say Goodbye

https://screenrant.com/lucifer-season-6-poster-cast-netflix/

‘The Sandman’ Season 1 Has Finished Filming

https://www.slashfilm.com/the-sandman-season-1-has-finished-filming/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=twitter

Y: The Last Man trailer brings the classic comic to life for FX and Hulu

https://www.polygon.com/22168560/y-the-last-man-trailer-fx-hulu

8/01/2021

DC TV Report for week ending 7/31/2021 Retro Pick: 'Steel'

- Li’l Eddie O’Hare

Welcome to the DC TV Report for the week ending Saturday July 31st, 2021. I'm here to bring you recaps, news and commentary for all live-action television shows based on DC Comics. There were no new episodes this week so I have a retro pick.

Retro Pick

Steel - Released 8/15/1997 1) John Henry Irons left the Army after an advanced weapons demonstration went wrong and returned to live with his grandmother and little brother in Los Angeles. 2) Nathaniel Burke, the disgraced jerk who botched the weapons demo, stole the sonic weapons and brought them to an LA gang so he could showcase them to underworld buyers. 3) Johnny busted his parapalegic friend Susan Sparks out of a VA hospital and brought her to his uncle's junkyard so she could build him armor and weapons to save the neighborhood from Burke. Last Minute Reveal: Sparky showed off her new wheelchair at the grand opening of Grandma's restaurant and gave Johnny a big hug!

Many moons ago and long before he began spending his nights arguing with Charles Barkley on TNT, Shaquille O’Neal attempted to be a type of triple threat rarely seen in the world of entertainment. Being a generational basketball talent was not good enough. Shaq wanted to be a rap artist and a movie star on top of that. I cannot speak for his music career but the flick that served as the nail in the coffin of the Big Aristotle’s time as a Hollywood leading man was the adaptation of a Superman spinoff character I just recapped above. For the past quarter century Steel has been a mainstay on most lists of the worst superhero movies ever made. However, I just watched it for the first time and I do not think it is all that bad.

The cynical way to think about how this film got made would be to say that Warner Bros. sat Shaq down in a conference room, showed him a lineup of characters and then he pointed at Steel and said that one. While that may or may not be true, it cannot be said that the effort behind making this film was half-cocked. Writer/Director Kenneth Johnson had been THE name in superheroes on television in the 1970s and ‘80s, bringing The Bionic Woman and The Incredible Hulk to the small screen. The supporting cast included Annabeth Gish, Richard Roundtree and Charles Napier, who all deliver solid work. Ironically the $16 million budget forced the production to rely more on practical effects that I believe hold up much better today than CG smothered action picks that were released a few years later.

In the end, it seems that the biggest mistake made with this film was releasing it in the wrong medium and targeting the wrong audience. Essentially, this movie was made for young kids. The marketing tried to draw in the teenaged and older superhero fanboys, who smelled a rat and did not see it. There are a bunch of corny jokes laden throughout the film but there is a homespun sincerity to the story that feels right at home in a kids movie. If this had debuted as a movie-of-the-week or as part of the Wonderful World of Disney, modern fanboys would be shaming people my age (I was nine when this was made) defending this movie with the zeal of a medieval crusader. Instead Steel was put on over 1,200 screens and could not even gross $1 million opening weekend.

To put it simply, if you enjoy superhero films from before the Marvel revolution, give Steel a chance. It is currently available on HBO Max and while it is not great (or even objectively good), it just might put a nostalgic smile on your face.

Ed’s Winner for the Week: Shaquille O'Neal - It seems like the entire Hollywood-Industrial Complex conspired to make this movie fail and make sure Shaq stuck to basketball for the next decade. I feel like that is our loss.

News

Legends of the Tomorrow: The Mixtape Is Coming

http://dclegendstv.com/2021/07/25/legends-of-the-tomorrow-the-mixtape-is-coming/

‘Legends Of Tomorrow’: Matt Ryan To Switch Characters, Amy Louise Pemberton To Play Human Gideon Full-Time In Season 7 – Comic-Con

https://deadline.com/2021/07/legends-of-tomorrow-matt-ryan-constantine-gwyn-davies-amy-louise-pemberton-gideon-season-7-comic-con-1234799209/

How Stargirl’s Luke Wilson Felt Living With Brother Owen Wilson While Filming Loki

https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2571214/stargirl-luke-wilson-living-with-brother-owen-wilson-filming-loki

Stargirl Boss: Jay Garrick's Visit 'Opens the Door' for Arrowverse Crossovers

https://tvline.com/2021/07/30/stargirl-season-2-jay-garrick-the-flash-visit-arrowverse-crossovers/

DC's Stargirl creator talks first mini crossover and making season 2 scary

https://ew.com/tv/dcs-stargirl-season-2-geoff-johns-crossover-scary/

‘Batwoman’: Nick Creegan Joins Season 3 As New Series Regular