This Week In DCTV 11/3/19
Welcome to This Week in DCTV, where the Twisted Cape examines, breaks down, and gives a quick review of all the original shows that DC has released this week. This will run weekly and start on Sunday and end on Saturday, so we catch everything on the CW, Fox, and the DC Universe streaming service. We’ll also include an average on the week to help determine whether the week was a success. Keep in mind there will be spoilers on a regular basis so read on at your own risk. NOTE: We will not be covering Epix’s Pennyworth at this time.
Weekly Score (3 Out of 5) – This week saw a regression overall, with the exception of Watchmen, but still a solid week. Twist of the Week goes to Watchmen for the multiple revelations, but specifically the skeletons in the captain’s closet and the fallout.
The CW
Supergirl - 3/5 – “In Plain Sight”
Kara’s investigation into William Dey’s “criminal” activities results in the shocking revelation he is not who she thinks’ the conflict between Malefic and J’onn J’onzz reaches a boiling point. SPOILERS – This episode largely centers on the progression of the conflict between Malefic and J’onn, which has several action pieces. It wrapped the whole conflict up by sending him to The Phantom Zone… or so we thought until we see that Lena has transported him into her lab. I’m curious about where this whole subplot is going overall. Also, we finally see Kara confront William, who explains his whole thing is a farce. They have hinted at the underlying threat of a greater organization, but they haven’t outright said who that threat is, even though they’ve been knocking pieces off the board. I love an espionage story and I can’t wait for this whole thing to explode. This is the episode where we say goodbye to Jimmy Olsen and it’s a nice feeling. Plus, it removes a character that we need to keep tabs on. As an episode though, it was just ok. The action was great, but the resolution and overall development seemed to lag behind the action and intended emotional weight. I’m hoping this all gets better with the development of the season, but it’s already better than last year.
Arrow – 3.5/5 – “Leap of Faith”
Reunited with his sister, Oliver and Thea find themselves searching through a familiar maze of catacombs; John and Lyla partner on a mission. SPOILERS – I love Ollie being a protective big brother alongside his perfectly capable little sister, Thea. That’s largely what that part of the episode was about and two siblings saying goodbye. I loved this adventure, especially since it involved Talia as well. I’m a little sad that the Thanatos guild hasn’t truly been explored and I doubt it ever really will be. Once Ollie uncovers the presence of the Anti-Monitor, this will become very interesting. Maybe that is how he dies. Another present-day story was around the Diggle family and their introduction to Connor Hawke, which starts to tie up the loose end of how JJ and Connor become family in the future. Speaking of the future, we continue to slog through the 2040 storyline, but we at least get the interesting wrinkle of Zoey getting killed and then immediately William, Mia, and Connor getting transported to the bunker in 2019. We’ll see how that plays out. I really wish that there was more of a focus on Ollie. It’s really bothering me now, especially when his goodbye tour is clearly far better than the whole future story when it’s getting its own show. Less is more.
The Flash – 3.5/5 – “There Will Be Blood”
Barry’s efforts to prepare Cisco for Crisis are derailed when Cisco schemes to save Barry’s life instead; Ramsey Rosso uses his deadly new abilities to save his own life, and he sacrifices his humanity in the process. SPOILERS – The heart of this episode was the relationship between Barry and Cisco, who ironically haven’t shared a ton of screen time lately. They hopped around with Nash Wells, who continues to intrigue me, looking for a cure for Ramsey. He took a greater step toward his Bloodwork persona this week by realizing that he needs to feed on humans and can control them. Ramsey sacrificing his humanity was a nice mirror to Cisco and his feelings about saying goodbye to his best friend. Ramsey’s story feels so rushed due to the impending crisis, but the silver lining is that it gives Barry a purpose. Lastly, on this plot point, shouldn’t Barry have disguised his voice? He’s interacted significantly with Ramsey thus far and it really isn’t that difficult to discern Barry’s identity at this point due to knowledge shared throughout their encounter. The Ralph subplot was interesting because it puts him on the path to his future wife, despite him saying that he’s not looking to get married. The scene in this episode that really saved it was the exchange between Joe and Barry. It’s hard not to get a little bit misty watching that scene. Strong performances overall.
Black Lightning - 3/5 – “The Book of Occupation: Chapter Four”
Jefferson faces new challenges due to the shocking state of Freeland; Lynn finds herself under intense pressure as she desperately tries to find a solution to the continuing crisis in Freeland; Anissa continues her work at the clinic. SPOILERS – Turns out Odell is a massively manipulative agent. He’s got Lynn hooked on Green Light, Jennifer is leaning toward taking his side, Jefferson at a clear disadvantage, all while maneuvering Painkiller. He’s so manipulative, at times, I actually start to wonder if the Markovian threat is real at all. I know that it is, but his nature makes me question it. Anissa and Jeff have a blow up this episode over Grace and it really exemplifies their combative relationship. Jen struggles at school in ways that make her start to rethink who she is and who she can be, as she’s given a gift by Odell. He’s by default the most intriguing member of the Arrowverse and when he’s eventually laid low by his decisions, its going to be explosive.
Batwoman - 3/5 – “Who Are You?”
A new villain with an eye for all things that sparkle drops in on the city; Kate attempts to find a balance between her personal life and her new role as Gotham’s’ guardian; Luke continues to fine-tune Batwoman’s arsenal of weapons. SPOILERS – It was fun to get Magpie with a bit of an interesting tech twist. Kate, however, dealt with juggling her life as Batwoman and Kate Kane and it ultimately cost her a girlfriend. I do love the pacing of this show because where Arrow or Flash may try to hold onto the drama of a moment and stretch it out, Batwoman deals with it and moves along. An unexpectedly strong thing that has emerged in the show is the relationship between Luke and Kate. A huge part of that is there is no possibility for a romantic relationship between the two and they respect each other as colleagues. They also look to protect each other at every turn. I’m convinced that Sophie knows that Kate is Batwoman and is just looking to confirm it. The Alice story is confusing. We all know she’s Beth, where are we going with it all? What is the endgame? We’ll see where it all goes soon.
DC Universe
Titans – 3/5 – “Atonement”
In the aftermath of his confession, Dick’s fear that his secret would break up the Titans comes true. Abandoning Titans Tower, the heroes all go their separate ways. SPOILERS – This episode confused me. With 3 episodes left, I don’t understand the decision to split the team apart, even though they all desperately need each other. That doesn’t mean that the episode wasn’t good. I loved Gar and Connor together, even though it meant that there was a real problem publicly for the Titans. Dick went out on a redemption tour to apologize to Jericho’s mom, and it turns out Slade was there as well, and he seemed to be feeling some effects of his experiments. He threatens Dick, who goes to leave the country, but instead assaults airport security and gets arrested. At first, the team leaves in pairs, which makes sense – strength in numbers and all that – but then they split even further, which confused me even more. The only pair we didn’t follow was Jason and Rose, which was interesting. There were things I did like, but overall, this episode ended the strong run this season has had so far. Hopefully, next week sees a return to form
HBO
Watchmen – 5/5 – “Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship”
As Angela relives haunting memories of an attack on her family, she detains a mysterious man who claims responsibility for Tulsa’s most recent murder; An original play is performed for an audience of one. SPOILERS – This show just becomes more and more incredible the longer it goes on. In addition to the beauty of the filming, the story is so intriguing. Angela shows just how amazing she is throughout the entire episode. We discover who Angela’s grandfather is, opening up multiple other mysteries. Also, we learn about Angela’s kids, specifically that they are from her partner and his wife who were murdered on the White Night, which led to the masking of police officers. This show is rife with uncomfortable racial overtones but plays them so well. I couldn’t recommend it more, if you can handle that. Ozymandias is working on a play in his estate, but interestingly, he seems to have an army of clones that he uses and disposes of on a regular basis at will. I am incredibly invested in seeing where his story leads us all and if/how it connects to Angela.