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Posted 1 Comment on Swamp Thing S01 E06: The Price You Pay (review) Television Worth Watching

Swamp Thing S01 E06: The Price You Pay (review)

Blackmail, tricks, and half-cocked explained bargains. That’s what this Swamp Thing series is made up of. That doesn’t make it any less interesting.

Spoilers ahead

Do you remember the friendly stranger that helped Holland become one with the green last week?

I’m beginning to think he’s not so friendly after all. We meet him again this week in a flashback with Daniel Cassidy. Last week he was knocked over the head during an attack on Liz. This left him in a coma with little brain activity.

In the flashback, we’re finally somewhat exposed to his life as a stunt double in Hollywood. He’s in the middle of a gig when a “friendly stranger” that Daniel believes is a part of the directing crew starts to chat him up.

While talking to the stranger, Daniel says that he’d give anything to play Blue Devil.

Be careful how you word things, people!

The stranger takes him seriously and tells him he needs a person to make themselves available for a new job staying in Marai. He gives no specifics or time frame. They just shake hands and BOOM, “miraculously” Daniel is recast as the lead Blue Devil.

Be careful what you wish for, people!

Fast forward to now, Daniel is in a coma and a nurse walks in to administer some blue liquid into his IV line.

Apparently, Liz is a very heavy sleeper because she was right there in the room. Either she didn’t hear the nurse or she wasn’t curious enough to squint her eyes open and say, “What’s that?”

“What did they do?” – Daniel Cassidy

Daniel Cassidy, Blue Devil

The blue liquid jump-starts Daniels brain activity, he wakes up, jumps up all frantic and starts burning up.

Turns out that Dr. Woodrue is behind the blue liquid with his human experimentation. That concoction was synthesized from Hollands swamp DNA and now Daniel is 3 seconds away from turning physically into Blue Devil.

Daniel runs away to find Woodrue, but he’s challenged by Avery who thinks Woodrue has figured out a brain healing cure. Not that Avery really cares. He just wants to please his investors.

The Conclave maybe?

Caroline Woodrue ends up stabbing Daniel with a tranquilizer to keep him from transforming. He ends up sedated back at the hospital where Ms. X tells him that she can’t relieve him from his destiny, but she can ease his pain.

So, him turning into a Blue Devil is inevitable. Poor guy.

“I’ll always care about you, but if you accuse me of something like this again, I won’t be so forgiving”. – Avery Sunderland

Liz ends up telling Abby about the intimidation tactics of Avery that caused Daniel to be in a coma in the first place. Abby straight up confronts Avery and tells him to stop trying to hurt people and to leave her friends alone.

That was very brave of her, but it won’t stop the wheels that are already in motion.

Abby goes to meet Holland in the woods at the same time that Matt Cable is investigating animal attacks. It’s actually not animal attacks, it’s Holland trying to ward off bounty hunters from Avery.

He’s attacked four hunters by this point which prompted Lucilia to send Matt to the sight.

Abby is too trusting! She’s suspicious of all of the right people, but still too trusting of the wrong people. We’ve seen that with her letting Woodrue see her research data and now she’s revealed Holland’s true identity to Matt! And poor Holland, he’s lost all of his important memories so all he knows is that Matt is a friend to Abby.

But honestly, Matt is being blackmailed by Avery and that blackmail is the reason that Matt attempted to kill Holland in episode one. But, the only reason he was able to be blackmailed in the first place is because of Lucilia.

YUP!

His mother is a dirty cop and even though she’s literally in bed with Avery, he threatened to out Lucilia of all of her wrongdoings if Matt didn’t do his bidding.

Yikes.

“I’m not going to give up on you. You’re still Alex Holland.” – Abby Arcane

Holland, Swamp Thing and Abby Arcane

Matt ends up leaving the woods because Abby asks him to keep Holland’s secret until she figures out how to cure him. However, I think he’s going to report back to Avery.

I really hope not. I’m rooting for you to not be a total scumbag, Matt!

This leaves Holland and Abby alone. I think pheromones surround them or something because a flower blooms in Hollands plant hand and then Abby can see Holland as his former human form.

Aww, love.

But seriously, I have some questions.

Will Matt tell Avery about Holland’s identity even though he’s technically working for him by force?

Will Lucilia stop sleeping and watching out for Avery now that he has blackmailed Matt?

Are the Conclave, Avery’s investors, and the swamp stranger related?

Previous Episode: Swamp Thing S01 E05: Drive All Night (review)

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Swamp Thing S01 E05: Drive All Night (review)

Why did this show get canceled?

It just keeps getting better and better each week. It’s explosive, creepy, mysterious, suspenseful and slightly predictable all at the same time.

A lot of information was given to the viewer this week, including the fact that Avery Sunderland is a scumbag on purpose and he’s been bending the town to his will for far longer than we’ve been led to believe.

Spoilers ahead

Daniel - Blue Devil - Swamp Thing

During my recap of episode 3, I assumed that Sheriff Lucilia Cable was covering up for Avery Sunderland in some capacity. I was wrong, but now I’m right.

Let me explain.

In episode 4, Avery tried to feel Lucilia up in his dining room while Maria was upstairs drowning in her grief. Lucilia said no, leading me to believe that they once had a thing. Well, it turns out they still have a thing. And they meet up to do that thing at a hotel in Marais. We find that out right away during this episode (Drive All Night).

However, what surprised me the most is what happens when Lucilia gets a lead about who blew up Holland in the swamp. She visits Remy Debois and he reveals that Matt, her son, actually pulled the trigger while standing in Avery’s boat. This was his attempt at blackmail, but she immediately shoots him down.

So we find out that Matt did Avery’s bidding in killing Holland. My previous theory pegged Avery as the type to do his own dirty work, which he is, but apparently just not that time. Since my theory that Avery did it himself is debunked now, I have another one.

Matt is being black mailed by his father! His father is Avery!

I wouldn’t put it past Avery. He’s sinister. Just because he likes Lucilia doesn’t mean he’s above it. Who cares if he did give her a ring once. Plus, he has stock in a lot of the real estate in Marai’s. We find that out when he threatens Liz at the town bar because she’s now investigating the disappearance of Haas (the banker). He also has goons try to intimidate her while leaving the bar, but Daniel (the Blue Devil) comes to her aide.

“What’s in here, nobody can take away but you.” – Friendly Swamp Stranger

The supernatural aspect of the Swamp Thing is ramping up. The “green” appears in the form of a friendly stranger to Holland and helps him calm down long enough to hear the warning coming from the swamp.

Through Holland, we find out how Shawna Sunderland drowned. Something drug her down until she drowned in the swamp. Abby couldn’t save her. As a result, Abby was spared by the darkness in the swamp but pushed out of the town due to guilt.

Shawna is the representation of the darkness. She possesses Susie Coyle and draws her mother and Abby to the swamp. Maria is actually trying to drown herself to be with her daughter, but Abby tries to save her. However, Maria has a V for Vendetta so she turns and tries to drown Abby. Eventually, Holland comes to Abby’s rescue and disappears when Matt Cable shows up.

Ms. X (or Ms. Xanadu) tells Abby that there is a supernatural door open, Shawna’s soul has been corrupted by the darkness of the swamp, and she’s come to kill her. Abby is hesitant to believe her because when she was 8, Ms. X told her how to take care of her mom, but her mom still died. That’s actually Abby’s motivation for becoming a doctor.

Lastly, Dr. Woodrue’s curiosity about the specimen Abby showed him made him go investigate Hollands old lab. As you know, Abby gave him access to information in order to use science to figure out what is causing the mutation of Holland. But now that Woodrue figured out that there is something special going on and he’s been instructed to capture whatever being the specimen came from to do more research.

I’m wondering if Daniel (the Blue Devil) is going to aid Holland against Avery and the darkness or if he will act as another foe during the show. Remember, he’s bound to the town but forces we haven’t been introduced to yet. Could they instruct him further?

We are halfway through the season, and it seems like Woodrue and Holland are the only characters getting important information. Everyone else is still clueless. Unless you count Sheriff Lucilia, who probably already knew her son was involved in treacherous deeds.

We’ll see.

Review: Swamp Thing S01 E04: Curse of the TREE ZOMBIE!

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Opinion: Netflix should bring Max back

Sometimes when I log on to Netflix or any streaming service for that matter, I can get overwhelmed by making choice on what I want to watch. I’m not that old, but I am old enough to remember when the TV Guide channel had a set list of what was coming on that night.

And if you didn’t like it, maybe you’d read a book.

When I log on to my platform of choice now, unless I already know what I’m looking for, I need a magic 8-ball to tell me what to watch.

There are so many options and that’s great. But can somebody break things up for me?

I’m focusing on Netflix right now because I remember when the service offered Max.

Get the Max with Netflix!

Get the max with netflix

There are so many options on Netflix. How am I supposed to find things when I don’t know what I’m in the mood for?

When I had my PlayStation 3, Max would always help me out.

Picture yourself on a lazy night. You want to relax so you turn on Netflix and prepare for a night of entertainment. But then, you see 18 different categories, a bunch of suggestions for shows or movies you’ve already seen, and stuff that you’re not even interested in.

Then you click on Max, artificial intelligence embedded in Netflix and ready to help make your life simpler. You hear a cute little jingle, he asks you a few questions and BOOM, you’re watching a Korean drama that you didn’t know existed and you’re having a great time!

That’s why Netflix should bring back Max! There are so many choices and those suggestion categories do not help, but Max can. My experience with Max always positive and helped pinpoint a show or movie that I give a try without having to surf for an hour before starting to watch something.

So Netflix, feel free to bring Max back at any time.

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Posted 3 Comments on Let’s catch up on Stranger Things (season 2 recap) Television Worth Watching

Let’s catch up on Stranger Things (season 2 recap)

This is the second part of the Stranger Things recap. If you weren’t aware of the first part, please click the following link so that you can catch up on season 1.

I wouldn’t want you to jump into season 2 without knowing what’s going on.

I know Stranger Things is kind of a big deal, but perhaps there are some folks who haven’t watched it yet. So with this post, I aim to give you the important plot points of season 2 and get you ready to enjoy season 3 of Stranger Things with the rest of the world.

Great! Here is the Stranger Things season 2 recap simplified.

The Mind Flayer

Season 2

Will is still flashing back and forth from the Upside Down. So his mom, Joyce, takes him to Hawkins Lab to see a new doctor. Good news, he’s not a creeper who kidnaps children. But, he’s still involved him the experimentation surrounding the Upside Down.

Speaking of the Upside Down, Eleven escaped it! Remember, in season 1 she dusted the Demogorgon and they both were sucked into the alternate dimension. Luckily, she found another portal out of there and eventually crossed paths with Chief Hopper and starting living with him.

Will is still going through his problems when his friend Dustin finds the Demogorgon spawn that he barfed up at the end of season 1. Dustin makes it his pet and he names it Dart.

Mike wants to kill Dart, but when he tries it escapes. Dustin eventually finds it again and hides it from the rest of the group because they’ve bonded.

It turns out Dart has siblings and there are other Demogorgon spawns in Hawkins but they aren’t nearly as friendly as Dart. They’re known as Demo-dogs.

Let’s focus on Will. During one of his episodes, he’s approached by a shadowy monster that we later know as The Mind Flayer. He starts deteriorating soon after and drawing visions that he’s having of vines but the picture is segmented in a puzzle. Joyce can’t figure it out, but as luck would have it her boyfriend, Bob is into puzzles.

He figures out that it’s a map of Hawkins. Chief Hopper goes to investigate and finds a bunch of tunnels forming underneath the town. And those Demo-dog are all around. Hopper gets cocooned and almost dies, but is eventually found and saved.

Thank you for cracking the code, Bob.

A group of authorities go to investigate the tunnels further but the Demo-dogs prove to be too much for them and they are mauled to death.

Meanwhile, Eleven is having her own adventure. She finds her mom and discovers the truth about how Dr. Brenner acquired her. She also found out that when her mother came to save her, she was captured and Brenner had her brain electrocuted leaving her in a handicapped state.

Eleven ends up meeting another girl who was in the same situation. Her name is Eight and she is ready to help Eleven exact revenge. She teaches Eleven to use her powers more effectively and they even find the doctor that hurt her mother.

But, Eleven has a good conscience and decides not to go forward with the plan. She does have a psychic connection with her friends in Hawkins and realizes they are in trouble. So she goes back to help them just in the nick of time.

Will is being used by The Mind Flayer and a bunch of people die as a result, including Bob. Plus, the town is being overrun by the Demo-dogs. The group makes a plan to close the portal using Eleven’s upgraded psychic powers. But first, Joyce wants to exercise Will and separate him from The Mind Flayer.

The exorcism works because Joyce turns up a heater and The Mind Flayer does not like that so it runs away after coming up through Wills’ mouth.

Eleven and Hopper go to shut the portal on one end and the rest of the group goes to back her up from inside the woods. Remember, there is a way into the Upside Down from there as well.

They almost get devoured by Demo-dogs, but Dart happens to be around and his connection with Dustin still exists so he sort of causes a distraction for them.

Eleven zips up the portal right in front of The Mind Flayer, locks it away, and all the Demo-dogs die.

All seems well until we find out that The Mind Flayer is definitely plotting his return from the Upside Down.

Now that you are up to speed, I’ll see you for more Stranger Things recaps when season 3 starts on July 4th.

If you didn’t know, the season 1 recap is linked here. Please feel free to click that and refresh yourself.

Posted 3 Comments on Let’s catch up on Stranger Things (season 1 recap) Television Worth Watching

Let’s catch up on Stranger Things (season 1 recap)

I know Stranger Things is a worldwide phenomenon at this point and everyone is excited for season 3 to release on July 4th on Netflix! However, there may be a portion of people who are interested but are too intimidated to start watching because they are two seasons behind.

Well, throw your fear in the Upside Down where it belongs because I’m going to help you catch up to season 3!

Of course, you can go back and watch seasons 1 and 2 are on Netflix right now if this rundown piques your interest. But for now, here is your Stranger Things recap simplified.

Will, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas

Season 1

The story takes place in Hawkins, Indiana in the year 1983. A little boy named Will Byers crosses paths with an unknown monster that we will come to know as the Demogorgon. The Demogorgon follows him home from a friends’ house and that’s the last you see of Will.

His mother, Joyce, tries to get the police involved to help find him, but unfortunately, the police chief isn’t much help.

Wills friends want to find him so they go to investigate at night time. Wills friends names are Dustin, Lucas, and Mike. While they are searching for Will they find a little girl named Eleven.

She escaped from a hidden government facility, Hawkins Lab. They’ve been testing on her since she was a baby. Initially, they experimented on her mother and somehow that caused the baby, Eleven to develop psychic powers. As a result of her powers, Eleven was stolen from her mother.

Like any hidden facility in a horror fiction story, the scientists at the lab are evil and chasing Eleven to bring her back. Luckily she’s avoided the authorities so far and can help Lucas, Mike and Dustin find Will.

Eleven explains that Will is trapped in the Upside Down, a parallel dimension that houses the Demogorgon that abducted him.

Joyce, Wills mom, is still looking for him and she starts to communicate with him using Christmas lights and the alphabet while he is still in the Upside Down. However, the Demogorgon is present too and attacks her, but she escapes.

Chief Hopper starts to be more effective when he investigates the lab Eleven came from and we find out that the head doctor, Dr. Brenner is a creep with a history of stealing children for experiments.

By the way, Eleven knows him as Papa.

While the investigation is getting red hot, Will’s body shows up in a lake. It’s just a red herring though because it’s a fake!

Will’s older brother, Jonathan and his crush Nancy are trying to find Will too. They realize another one of their friends, Barb is gone as well. They find a portal to the Upside Down in the woods, explore it, find the Demogorgon and then run away.

Since Eleven has powers, she uses them to talk to Will through a radio at the school Mike, Lucas, and Dustin and every other child in this show go to. But it doesn’t help because the connection isn’t the best.

Of course, the big bads from the Hawkins Lab are still trying to find Eleven and they find them while the kids are out and about. This forces Eleven to use her powers, but she starts to get fatigued.

Everybody links up together. Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Eleven, Joyce, Chief Hopper, Jonathan and Nancy to share information. We find out Eleven is the one who found the Demogorgon accidentally while spying for the government.

Yikes.

Another useful piece of information is that there is an entrance to the Upside Down in the Hawkins Lab. So Joyce and Hopper go to save Will. Jonathon and Nancy lure the Demogorgon to them to trap it while Joyce and Hopper rescue Will.

They find out that Barb was fully cocooned and didn’t make it. But, Will is okay.

Eleven

Meanwhile, Eleven and the boys almost get captured by the big bads because she faints after overusing her powers. But the Demogorgon who escapes Jonathon and Nancy’s trap arrives just in time to eat Dr. Brenner and let the kids get away.

The Demogorgon goes after the kids next and Eleven snaps back in enough time to dust the Demogorgon away and save the day. Unfortunately, she has to self-sacrifice to save her friends and gets sucked into the Upside Down too.

Will seems to still be connected to the Upside Down because he’s warping in and out the Upside Down while he’s awake. Then he barfs up a monster slug and it goes down his bathroom sink.

Catch up on season 2 by clicking here.

Posted 5 Comments on Swamp Thing S01 E04: Curse of the TREE ZOMBIE! (review) Television Worth Watching

Swamp Thing S01 E04: Curse of the TREE ZOMBIE! (review)

During this weeks episode of Swamp Thing, I was even more convinced that Avery Sunderland fired the rocket launcher that blew Alec Holland up in the Swamp in episode one. He’s resorted to even more dubious tactics since then and now there’s a little girl involved!

Spoilers ahead

Abby Arcane

This week we pick back up in the Marai swamp in Ocheo Forks. We’re introduced to a new character named Todd. He and a friend or his dad, I’m not sure, are searching around the swamp for something rare.

They find it, but not before a Tree Zombie jumps down, attacks Todd from above, and scratching his arm. Apparently, it wasn’t an actual Tree Zombie, just a dead corpse with a strong fear demon attached to it.

Todd ran away and went to work the next day as if nothing happened. He works with Liz (the town reporter) and her father Delroy at their restaurant. Unfortunately for Delroy, Todd starts hallucinating that a snake is on his arm.

Todd starts stabbing at his arm with a knife and eventually shoves his arm down the garbage disposal until he faints.

He dies, but not before scratching Delroy and transferring the curse of the Tree Zombie to him.

Alec is still in the swamp. The leaves, trees, and vines are communicating with him. They tell him that the swamp has darkness in it.

When I heard this, I began to think that Alec is in the swamp, but he’s not the Swamp Thing. There are two entities in the swamp. One is Alec and the other is whatever haunted the Tree Zombie and caused Todd to lose his mind.

Abby, being the curious doctor she is, goes to visit Ocheo Forks where Todd was exposed to the Tree Zombie and runs into Alec. He’s still in his feelings about her dancing with Matt last week, but he entertains her anyway because … love.

They agree to work together to find out:
a) What is happening to him.
b) Remove what is terrorizing the town.

Alec gives up a sample of his DNA for research. However, I think Abby makes a terrible decision when she lets Dr. Woodrue help her with the research.

I understand he’s a biologist, but he’s definitely on Avery’s payroll so this can not end well.

“This ‘Thing’ belongs here in the swamp” – Alec Holland

Back in town, Delroy experiences his haunting. It’s a recount of when his mother was killed by burglars when he was a boy. He almost shoots Liz, Abby, and Sheriff Lucilia but no one dies. Lucilia does get scratched next and ends up freaking out at the towns fish fry hosted by Avery and Maria Sunderland.

Lucilia thinks her son has been shot in the line of duty and starts pointing guns at everyone. Luckily, Abby gets scratched next and takes the haunting back to the swamp.

Abby is not immune to the hauntings and starts to freak out while being attacked by a man with no face. But, Alec is just in time and takes the haunting away from her. He puts it back on the corpse and leaves it there.

I wonder why he didn’t move it somewhere else. Someone could easily come to the same area and get exposed to the haunting again. But I guess we’re not supposed to think about that.

Alec and Abby save the day and the town is safe for now. The patients in quarantine can go home, no one is haunted, and little Susie Coyle is being adopted.

By whom?

Avery and Maria Sunderland!

Avery conned Maria into funding his research with Dr. Woodrue under the assumption that he is trying to make sure the “Green Flu” is fully out of Susie’s system. And he didn’t stop there! He paid off her uncle so that he would not claim her or speak to her again.

Not to mention, he burned the body of Haas (the banker) and buried him in the swamp.

What a dubious, dubious man.

Ms. X (the psychic, witch doctor) can sense a storm coming to affect the destiny of this town and everyone in it. While talking to Daniel (also known as Blue Devil) Ms. X states that Daniel made a bargain to stay in the town of Marai until called upon.

Could he have made that bargain with the Conclave? Haas made it seems like a secret organization, but we didn’t get any more information about what it is this week.

Theory

The same reason Daniel is in Marai, is the same reason Avery is obsessed with researching the swamp.

Alec tells Abby that the swamp is poisoned and now it will bring death. Is the Conclave the reason that the swamp has been poisoned?

During my first analysis of this show with episode one, I asked if this series was worth saving. Honestly, if the suspense and craziness keep building up as it has been, I think so. We’ll see what happens next!

Review: Swamp Thing S01 E03 | Avery in financial ruin, Holland’s new powers

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Swamp Thing S01 E03 |Financial ruin & new powers (review)

Every episode of Swamp Thing is an information dump. This has been a good experience so far and I’m enjoying it. However, the conspiracy is proving to be very complex. So every time I think I’ve figured out exactly what is going on, something else weird happens and it throws me off.

As a result, I am bent discovering the major conspiracy before the show reveals it in episode 10. I don’t know if I will be successful, but it will be exciting to try.

Also, Swamp Thing continues to succeed in creeping me out without fail.

In this most recent episode, I have come up with another theory. You may remember in the last entry about Swamp Thing, my theory about Avery Sunderland being the mastermind behind the swamp contamination was proven correct.

Now, in episode three, I have decided that he did not hire anyone to kill Holland as I once suggested. I think committed the murder himself.

Spoilers ahead

We need to remember two things. First, Avery Sunderland took a financial hit when his swamp experiments caused people to get sick. Second, Avery Sunderland fired Holland when he got to close to the truth about what caused the swamp to mutate.

In episode three, Liz, the journalist in Marais confronts Gordon Haas, a bank supervisor, for giving loans to Sunderland off the record. So Sunderland has been funding his research but falling into debt as well.

As a result of Liz bringing this up to him, Haas decides to visit Avery’s home unannounced an threaten to expose him if he does not pay back the money in 24 hours. This causes Avery to visit Haas’ house unannounced later in the episode and try to intimidate him into giving him more money.

The intimidation tactic goes wrong and Avery ends up killing Haas with a golf club. So my theory is Avery Sunderland blew Holland up in the swamp himself. He didn’t need to hire anyone because he’s already a psychopath and is more than willing to get his own hands dirty and then wash them in the sink.

I also think the sheriff, Lucilia Cable, is in on the conspiracy in some way. In this episode, she keeps urging her son, Matt, to stay away from Abby. Remember, Abby and Matt saved Susie Coyle when she ran away to the swamp to save Swamp Thing/Holland.

She keeps saying that Abby is bad news. Sure Matt has a crush on her, but Abby is doing legitimate work in trying to cure the infected patients in Marais. So why would the sheriff have an issue with her?

It’s because she had a fling with Avery in the past (or present, I can’t tell yet) and she doesn’t want Abby to get to close to the ultimate truth to cover for Avery. She even tells Matt that they will close the cases as accidents if 24 hours pass and there is no further evidence.

There is a moment in the episode where Sheriff Lucilia is interviewing Avery for the investigation into Hollands death. They almost get intimate, but Maria makes a bump sound and that sends Lucilia running out of the door.

Abby and the Swamp Thing

Meanwhile, Swamp Thing is having flashbacks and hallucinations about one of the men he tore apart in the last episode. As a result, the swamp bugs bring him back to life and he goes on a vendetta to find Swamp Thing and avenge his death.

He crosses paths with Abby, who in the middle of searching through Hollands research for a path to a cure for the infected patients. She’s being undermined by the CDC who sent in another doctor, Eli Troost, and she wants to find a breakthrough.

Not to mention, Avery has his biologist, Jason Woodrue, at the hospital as well doing autopsies and researching the plants on Eddie Coyle’s body.

During this time, the bug swamp zombie attacks her and asks her where Swamp Thing is. Swamp Thing appears to be tracking Abby somehow because he appears out of nowhere and uses his powers to release the man’s soul from the swamp bondage and makes him rest in peace.

We find out that Swamp Thing doesn’t remember who he is or anything that happened before the explosion. He does manage to give Abby some useful information.

The swamp is not attacking, it’s fighting back. Which makes sense because Avery is the one who put a foreign body in the swamp in the first place.

This prompts Abby to change the treatment course for infected patients. They stabilize and she earns the trust of Dr. Troost in the process.

She also inadvertently gains the affections of Swamp Thing who is clearly stalking her as of the end of the episode. Abby goes to the town bar to decompress and meets Matt Cable there. They end up dancing and of course, Swamp Thing sees this. So Matt is probably going to end up dead or injured at some point due to this love triangle.

But the true story in this episode is Avery. He is out of money. He’s killed his bank connection. His wife has financially cut him off, and he’s tied up in his swamp adventures.

What does a man on this type of edge do next? And what is the Conclave? Haas mentioned telling the Conclave what Avery was doing before his skull was bashed in.

Might the Conclave have something to do with Daniel? He’s a new character that we were introduced to by the voodoo witch doctor. His tarot card reading hasn’t changed in 8 years.

Fool, hanged man, wheel of fortune.

But recently he met Abby and thinks she may be the key to change his destiny.

I guess we’ll see how they are all connected in episode four.

Episode 2: Review: Swamp Thing S01 E02 | My theory confirmed

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Swamp Thing S01 E02 | My theory confirmed (review)

Last week, I watched Swamp Thing for the first time. I watched it without referring to any source material and without any preconceived notions. The only thing I knew about the series was that it had been canceled. With only one episode available, the Swamp Thing series on DC Universe would end after episode 10.

After watching the first episode, I had a few opinions but I didn’t see anything that would warrant such a hasty cancellation. I actually enjoyed episode one. So I’ve decided to continue watching it. Episode two turned out really weird, so I’ll start with the easy stuff first.

Spoilers ahead

Last weeks episode left me with a theory of my own regarding Avery Sunderland. The first episode set him up as the wealthiest man in the town and we found out that he was Holland’s employer. This led me to believe that he had to be the person hiring boats to drop the mutagen accelerant in the swamp.

I was proven correct in this episode. Turns out that Avery is the reason that the accelerant is being dumped in the swamp. Apparently, he consulted two scientists (Jason and Caroline Woodrue) to find out ways to make use of the swamp.

The accelerant was their idea. It was supposed to help the swamp thrive, but of course, that backfired and now the townspeople are dying. Jason Woodrue stands firm that an accelerant would not cause disease. He pretty much said blame the swamp for doing swamp things.

Avery is definitely the big bad! All through this episode, he made strides to keep people from investigating the swamp and the dumping. He denied Abby the help she asked for to find Holland (who is presumed dead as far as the characters are concerned). He also threatened the scientist he consulted with blackmail, and he admitted to those same scientists that he is “handling business” to keep his name away from the swamp problem.

So, if we read between the lines, we can deduce that Avery had Holland killed by the mysterious man with the rocket launcher from episode one. Remember, Holland went up to Avery after a town hall meeting and told him that something was happening to the water. This must have prompted him to kill Holland so that he would not figure out the full scope of the conspiracy.

Little does Avery know, he created a swamp monster with a vendetta.

Here is where weird things start. Apparently, patient zero (Susie Coyle) has a psychic connection with the swamp.

I don’t understand how because she was not in the swamp when the initial attack by the vines happened. But okay.

In the last episode, when her father (Eddie Coyle) revived on the autopsy table, Susie had a moment where she called out to the dead corpse that was being controlled by vines. In this episode, she escapes the hospital in order to go meet the Swamp Thing.

The first time she tries to escape the doctor catches her. He asks her why she is trying to leave. Susie says it’s because the man in the dark is scared and needs her.

What could he possibly need from her? Does she hold the cure?

Eventually, Susie does escape and the sheriff’s office and doctors are looking for her in the swamp. Abby is scared because she has seen the Swamp Thing before and no one has believed her up to this point about the dumping, the monster, or the Holland conspiracy.

Susie ends up on a boat with some men who have been hired to dump by Avery. They don’t know she is there and after they have a disagreement, one of them kills the other.

This death prompts the Swamp Thing to rise from the water and save Susie. He rips the boat henchman apart and Susie is saved. However, Abby finds them just in time and takes Susie away.

After they escape the swamp, Susie tells Abby that the Swamp Things name is Holland.

Oh, snap. Here’s more information for the town not to believe.

We also have a bit of story progression for Maria Sunderland. It turns out that she has been dabbling in voodoo and having a witch doctor communicate with her dead daughter (Shawna) for the last 14 years.

As a result, we see that Shawna has not been able to rest in peace and is stuck in a realm between the living and the dead. The witch doctor tells Maria to let her rest because the balance with the living and the dead is shifting. The witch doctor felt that bad things are happening in the swamp.

Here’s the thing. After this weeks episode, I need to understand if Swamp Thing is a sci-fi horror thriller or a supernatural horror thriller. The characteristics of Holland as the Swamp Thing remain horrific. He’s killing people and groaning in pain. Normal stuff.

However, with the addition of Maria’s seance in the swamp, I got confused. How does this play into the swamp? Was the swamp haunted before the accelerant was dumped into it? The first episode never shows Holland and Susie speaking, so how is Susie connected to the Swamp Thing? When did the connection start?

This episode may have muffled the identity of the show a bit. But, it was still interesting. There are so many questions that need to be answered. I’m hoping as I keep watching, the show can clear up some of the confusion.

EPISODE 1 Review: Swamp Thing S01 E01 | Is it worth saving?

Posted 6 Comments on Swamp Thing S01 E01 | Is it worth saving? (review) Television Worth Watching

Swamp Thing S01 E01 | Is it worth saving? (review)

Before I even had the chance to watch Swamp Thing on DC Universe, the show was trending on Twitter confirming the cancellation of the show.

I don’t know the history of shows that have been canceled, but the decision to cancel Swamp Thing after only one episode had been aired felt rushed. So instead of automatically assuming that the first episode was complete garbage, I watched it for myself.

The pilot episode of Swamp Thing gave me serious sci-fi horror vibes. There is a lot of suspense in the first episode and the creators did a great job making the contaminated swamp graphics gross and unnerving. It’s a great presentation.

What about the story?

It’s a good story. However, I think the pilot episode may have given away the biggest part of the series too early in the season.

Spoilers ahead

We’re introduced to the swamp as a dark and mysterious place in Marais, Louisiana right away. A group of fishermen and a tech genius were hired to drop some sort of device in the swamp. They end up being attacked by the swamp and killed.

One fisherman, Eddie Coyle, makes it home somehow and infects his daughter. His daughter goes to school, passes out with a bloody nose and becomes patient zero.

Dr. Abby Arcane is ordered by the CDC to leave the Congo, where she is fighting an epidemic, to come back to Louisiana and cure the mysterious illness in Marais.

She ends up entrusting a somewhat awkward biologist named Alec Holland who has been commissioned by Will Sunderland, a wealthy member of the community, to run tests on the swamp. Initially, Holland is meant to help discover positive means to help the community flourish, but he discovers a fertilizer accelerate that is “jacking up” the mutagens in the swamp and causing the town to become sick.

There is also a side story line about Abby’s past where a childhood friend of hers died before they graduated high school. It turns out that friend was the daughter of Will and Avery Sunderland. Avery is not happy that Abby is back in town. At first, she attempts to intimidate her to leave the town, but then she asks her to save the town in the same breath.

Earlier, I stated that the pilot episode gave away too much information. What I am referring to is the end of the episode. Abby and Holland figure out some new information and plan to go study it more at the hospital. They are hoping that it will lead to a cure. However, Holland wants to go fish out the devices in the swamp first because they are causing the sickness.

A mysterious “I know what you did last summer” man somehow knows that Holland is going to do this and shoots him in the chest two times with a shotgun then blows him up.

While watching, I thought to myself, “Oh he’s definitely the Swamp Thing”. I didn’t realize that with 4 minutes left in the episode, this theory was going to be confirmed. That took a lot of the steam out of it. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t find out, but maybe not in the first episode.

Technically, there could have already been a Swamp Thing and Holland’s character could have been a bait to throw off the viewer. I guess he still could be, but I don’t think so.

At the end of the episode, Abby boats out to the area where Holland should be and finds fire, dead swamp bodies, and moving swamp branches. Then the branches subside and the Swamp Thing reveals himself.

Here’s a question. Why did the swamp bond with Holland and not with Coyle earlier in the episode?

I hope that we find out this season.

My Theory

There are 9 episodes left before the season ends. My ultimate theory involves Will Sunderland. I think that he is the anonymous financial backer to the fishermen boats that are poisoning that swamp in Marais. He’s already been cast as the rich member of the community. And maybe he has a “V for Vendetta” because his daughter died all those years ago.

Is this series worth saving? We’ll have to see. This coming from someone who has not read the comics and is going off of the show alone. I definitely think the episode was attention grabbing.

Posted Television Worth Watching

Who can replace Cisco Ramon on Team Flash?

We’re 2 weeks removed from the season five finale of The Flash on The CW at the time of this writing. It was a finale that saw another change in the timeline due to the interference of Nora West-Allen all season long.

As a result, the Reverse Flash is back on the loose, Sherlock went back to his earth, Nora disappeared, and Cisco decided to take the cure and remove his Vibe powers.

Not only is Cisco a big part of Team Flash using his scientific knowledge and creativity (plus he’s the funniest character on the show), but his meta-human abilities to open dimensions were helpful for the entire team.

Now that Cisco is a regular human again, who will be able to step in and fill his shoes as an additional meta-human on the team?

Dr. Carol is Caitlin Snow’s/ Killer Frost’s mother. We were introduced to her while her relationship was strained with Caitlin. She kept the meta-human status of Caitlin’s father, Thomas Snow, a secret. Ultimately, Thomas tried to turn both Caitlin and her mother into frost meta-humans for good.

We saw Caitlin and Carol reconcile before the end of season five. But, we also find out that Carol now has meta-human DNA in her blood due to the efforts of Thomas Snow.

Dr. Carol could possibly enter Team Flash as an extra brain to assist with dissecting meta-human issues and as she realizes her meta-human abilities, she will be able to join the team in the field.

Maybe her name could be called Mother Frost.

My other suggestion is Harrison Wells. Every season they find a way to bring his character back into Team Flash. So perhaps they can do it again. But then again, bringing Dr. Wells back again will only fill the void that Sherlock Wells left.

So maybe no one can fill Cisco’s role and we’ll just have to deal with his absence and look forward to new additions to the team that we haven’t met before.

Posted 2 Comments on Game of Throne season 8, episode 6: Jon Snow’s fitting end in the war for the Iron Throne Television Worth Watching

Game of Throne season 8, episode 6: Jon Snow’s fitting end in the war for the Iron Throne

Last week, after Daenerys completed her transition from a doe-eyed chain breaker to a fire-eyed mad queen, I asked a few questions. The most important question regarding Jon Snow and his relationship with Daenerys since the events of “The Bells”.

The Question:
Is Jon now going to be compelled to get closer to Daenerys so that he can calm her down or will he be compelled to overthrow her because he’s seen her destructive capabilities?

Spoilers ahead

Jon Snow, Daenerys, Game of Thrones season 8

It turns out, my theory of Jon having the power to change Daenerys was not completely incorrect. I stated that due to his inability to provide a physical representation of his love to her, she decided to choose fear instead of opting to use love to gain power.

Daenerys burned down King’s Landing and destroyed Cersei and Jamie Lannister in the process and also murdering women and children. But, that wasn’t enough for her.

In the opening moments of the episode, “The Iron Throne”, Daenerys promises both the Dothraki and Unsullied that the war is not over and that they will break the wheel of the world.

This prompted Tyrion denounced his hand of the throne title and having already betrayed Daenerys by freeing Jamie, he was taken prisoner. During his imprisonment, he told Jon that Daenerys had to be killed because she turned into a tyrant.

It was Tyrion’s words that compelled Jon to approach Daenerys and ask her to change her approach to world domination. Unfortunately, Daenerys’ words made it all too apparent that she would continue to kill innocent people on her climb to victory.

Jon once again professed that she was his queen and with a passionate kiss, he stabbed her in the heart.

Shame.

While Jon’s hesitation to be with Daenerys may have contributed to her going mad, he used that “power of love” to comfort her to her death. She was literally begging him AGAIN to be with her and he believed that things would only get worse so he ended her life.

Drogan, Daenerys’ remaining dragon, senses her death and flies to her aide. Instead of attacking Jon who is holding her dead body, he burns down the Iron Throne symbolizing how futile the fight over the throne really was.

I did not see this coming. It came so early in the episode and it was so unexpected. Plus you find out later in the episode that Jon doesn’t flee the country. He’s imprisoned by Grey Worm and the Unsullied for killing their queen.

I usually try not to criticize creative decisions. However, I’m surprised Grey Worm didn’t kill Jon on the spot. Jon killed Daenerys and Grey Worm has been mourning the loss of Missandei. I would think that alone would be enough to take Jon out on site. They didn’t even fight. But he stayed a prisoner until the ladies and lords of the seven kingdoms were called to a meeting.

Grey Worm actually played a huge role at the end of the story. He brought Tyrion to the meeting where Tyrion was able to suggest a form of democracy to determine a new king or queen for the seven kingdoms.

The group ended up choosing Bran the Broken as the new king because he holds the stories of their history. And judging by Brans comments that he only came to King’s Landing to be king, I’m thinking he saw this coming.

Even Sansa reluctantly gave her approval, though she and the North will stay an independent nation because we all know Sansa was not about to let the story end without being some sort of queen.

Another thing I did not see coming was Tyrion making it through Daenerys’ rather and becoming the hand to Bran the Broken. So Tyrion Lannister is now going to be an aide to the king once again. He’s the only Lannister that made it through the Game of Thrones.

The real victors of the Game of Thrones turned out to be the Starks. Sansa ends the series as Queen of the North because she won’t bend the knee even to her brother. Arya opts to head west of Westeros and discover the world. Bran is the king and he rules that Jon will go back to the Knights Watch as punishment for his crimes.

I guess it was fitting that Jon ends up where he’s most comfortable, back in the North. He’s reunited with Tormund and Ghost. To be honest, sending him to the Night’s Watch does not seem like much of a punishment because technically if the whole Night King situation hadn’t happened he would still be there anyway.

Honorable mention to Brienne of Tarth. She went out of her way to finish documenting Jamie Lannisters life in the White book of Names. The final words she wrote about him were that he died fighting for his queen. Grey Worm also took the Unsullied to Naath like he promised Missandei. I thought that was sweet.

And that’s it. Game of Thrones is over.

Catch up with all the previous recaps using this link.

Posted 1 Comment on The Flash S05, E22: Is the legacy of Team Flash disappearing? (review) Television Worth Watching

The Flash S05, E22: Is the legacy of Team Flash disappearing? (review)

There were some tearful moments in The Flash season finale, ‘Legacy’. I was hoping for a future Trunks moment like in Dragonball Z. I expected Nora West-Allen to help her dad defeat Cicada II and stop the Reverse Flash from getting out of his time period. After all of that was done I thought she’d go back to the future and after a teary-eyed goodbye, Iris would reveal that she is pregnant.

However, that’s not what happened. It was actually a pretty gloomy episode and barely anything went right for Team Flash. Feel free to go watch the episode before you read any further because I am going to mention spoilers.

Spoilers ahead

In the season finale of The Flash, my entire theory was blown to shreds except for one thing… Eobard Thawne also known as the Reverse Flash became the main villain for Team Flash once again.

What I didn’t expect was for him to get away. We find out in the story that Eobard used Nora to alter the timeline and cause destruction of Cicada’s dagger to the sole key to his freedom. The destruction of the dagger is also the only thing that will save all of the meta-humans on earth from being destroyed.

The dagger ends up being destroyed and Cicada II disappears leaving little Gracie awake from her coma and headed for a new life.

But at the end of the day, Nora was being played from the beginning and it ended up costing her, her very existence. After some villainy exposition from Eobard Thawne, Nora starts to crackle and disappear. Thawne tells Barry she can survive if she goes into the Negative Speedforce like before. However, Nora doesn’t want to live like Thawne and decides to disappear instead.

This entire ending was a shock. Sherlock went back to his earth and Joe West became the captain of Central City Police (apparently the old captain already knew Barry was the Flash but never said anything until he promoted Joe).

But most importantly, Cisco made a very rash decision. After almost getting killed by Cicada earlier in the season and going through an identity crisis about who he is and how he can find love with meta-human powers, he told his girlfriend about Vibe.

She was so understandable. I thought the crisis was averted. But no, after he has a clear huge part to do with almost taking down the Reverse Flash, he decides to take the cure with the help of Caitlin.

Vibe was such an intricate part of Team Flash and he may still want to be helpful from the lab like Iris, but what happens if Cisco wants to quit the team altogether?

Lastly, the biggest change came at the very end of the episode.

The whole purpose for Nora coming to this time was to help fight Cicada and stop her dad from disappearing. Well, it turns out that Nora’s interference has actually changed up the timeline.

In season 6, the Flash will supposedly disappear. A newspaper article popped up on Gideon’s diaplay wall showing 2019 is when the Flash disappears during the crisis. So, Nora’s interfernce effectively sped up Barry’s disappearance.

Bummer.

I thought this season was going to end with some happiness, but it was a lot of gloom. Will next season start off the same way? Will Team Flash be trying to pick up the pieces or creating new ones?

Posted 1 Comment on Game of Thrones season 8, episode 5: The real reason Daenerys goes mad Television Worth Watching

Game of Thrones season 8, episode 5: The real reason Daenerys goes mad

Last night I watched my suspicions about Danerys come true. Usually, when she does something so destructive there is a clear reason. It just seemed so out of character. In fact, everyone seemed out of character during ‘The Bells’ episode and it left me, Jon Snow, and a lot of other viewers confused.

As always, I suggest you watch the episode in full because spoilers are below.

Spoilers ahead

Let’s start at the beginning of the episode. Lord Varys made it known last week that he planned to put Jon in position to be king of the Seven Kingdoms. He has a rightful claim to the throne, but more specifically because he has the better temperament to lead and people like him so they will follow.

Okay, that makes sense. Daenerys’ actions have been questionable lately and based on the trauma she’s dealt with (losing her dragon, Jorah, and Missandre and Jon not returning her affections), she is a bit unstable. She hasn’t given herself time to mourn and she isn’t making decisions with a sound mind.

But here is where I get lost.

Tyrion sees Varys confront Jon about being king and instead of going to Daenerys and saying some people know and advising to take actions that give confidence that she is better for the throne, he goes to her and says Varys betrayed you.

Tyrion at this point knew Daenerys was on her breaking point. Yet he actually gave her a reason to kill Varys. He’s been handling his duties all wrong causing her not to trust his judgment, which she tells him in episode 2 of this season. Tyrion made another bad call which acted as her stepping stool to burn Kings Landing to the ground later in the episode.

That being said, I really think Jon could have stopped all of this from happening. How? We all know how. Daenerys has been trying to be intimate with Jon for the last two weeks since she found out they were relatives.

Incest clearly makes Jon uncomfortable which is why he’s backed off of her that way. But, a man knows when his woman is about to go off the deep end.

Jon clearly knew or had assumptions that she was unstable and instead of trying to talk her off the ledge, he reaffirmed his loyalty to her. He also told her he loved her. But, once she tries to get close he shoves her away.

Which made it worse because in Daenerys’ mind if you love me then you should be intimate with me.

Jon’s inability to show her affection based on reasons (she’s his aunt) is the real reason why she burned Kingslanding to the ground.

Jon, it’s all your fault. Your inability to return her love is the reason she’s gone mad.

In Daenerys mind, she knows the people will follow Jon because they love him and she thinks that she is only feared. She tells Jon this and even though he doesn’t want the throne, it’s inevitable.

What if Daenerys decided, once she heard the bells of surrender ring from the castle, to burn it all down so that there is nothing left to rule.

It’s clear that at this point she’s lost the ability to reason, she doesn’t trust her advisors, and without Jon’s affections, she doesn’t feel loved. So now, burn the kingdom down, let the pieces fall where they may, and start fresh.

Other notes:

I can’t believe Arya is not dead! She literally was trampled by horses, smashed by a falling building, and engulfed in Daenerys’ fire while trying to escape Kings Landing. But, she is still alive.

I was not expecting Cersi and Jamie to go out like that. I thought Cersei had more of a plan, but I guess not. She went out like a mouse. It was a little sad though once the end came for her and Jamie.

Also, Sandor ‘the Hound’ Clegane and Gregor ‘the Mountain’ Clegane finally settled their odds going out in dragon fire. They had a cool exchange before it was all over with during Clegane Bowl.

My questions:

Is Jon now going to be compelled to get closer to Daenerys so that he can calm her down or will he be compelled to overthrow her because he’s seen her destructive capabilities?

What happens now that Kings Landing is destroyed?

What role will Sansa and Bran play in the story now that Kings Landing is destroyed?

Is Arya going to kill Daenerys for her actions?

Arya claimed that she was going to kill the queen. Maybe now her attention is drawn to Daenerys. Also, apparently in the television series Daenerys has green eyes, but George R.R Martin’s books explain that she has purple eyes. Hopefully, that’s not used as a workaround to let Arya kill her.

I guess we’ll see in the final episode next week.

Game of Thrones season 8, episode 4: Is Sansa right about Daenerys? (last weeks episode)

Posted Breaking Updates

Will Arrow pass on the mantel to Batwoman on CW? (trailer)

With the Flash, Super Girl, Arrow and DC Legends of Tomorrow in a shared universe, we are expecting newcomer Batwoman to become a mainstay in the DC CW universe or Arrow-verse. We first met Kate Kane/ Batwoman during the 3 part Elseworlds crossover in December 2018 as she aided our heroes with saving the universe.

Ruby Rose will return to her role and take over the vigilante gauntlet in Gotham City as Batwoman airing on the CW. The Arrow series is ending after a shortened season 8 this fall. it maybe a good idea for Batwoman to take over that time slot.

Perhaps Batwoman will join the crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths, the conclusion of Elseworlds for the 2019 season. It’s possible that Kate Kane’s encounters with Arrow / Oliver Queen during the special will allow him to propel her into the forefront alongside Super Girl and The Flash in the Arrow-verse, figuratively passing on the mantel.

There has been no release date announced yet, but the CW did release a trailer earlier this week.

I’ll be covering the events in Gotham City just like I do in Central City when the time comes.

Catch up on CW’s The Flash – recaps here.

Posted 2 Comments on The Flash S05, E20-E21: Gone Rogue & The Girl with the Red Lightning (review) Television Worth Watching

The Flash S05, E20-E21: Gone Rogue & The Girl with the Red Lightning (review)

I watched Gone Rogue and I have to admit I was a little put-off. Why?
Because I felt like Nora should have committed to her rogue persona. I wasn’t sold on Nora’s quick turn around at the end of the episode.

We begin the episode with Nora teaming up with a few low key baddies to steal technology. We find out that she wanted to get a specific tool to render Cicada II’s dagger unusable.

At the same time, she’s still upset with Barry because he didn’t come with Iris to get her back from the future. By the end of the episode, Nora’s villain friends backstab her and team flash saves her. And they lived happily ever after.

I was uninspired, so given the title of this weeks episode, The Girl with the Red Lightning, I thought I should wait and see where this goes.

The most confusing idea about this season is how fast Iris and Barry started to act like they were parents to Nora. Nora is their age or a few years younger. Iris and Barry have seemly matured over the last 20 episodes, but I don’ t know if that is realistic. During every situation, they try to baby her. So it was surprisingly refreshing to hear her stand up to her parents and tell them she was an adult.

Nora took a stand because she is mentally linked to Gracie. While tapping into the negative energy that Gracie feels, Nora can see through her eyes. Doing this allows Nora to pinpoint Cicada II’s exact location when she is about to set off her meta-human killer bomb.

By the end of The Girl with the Red Lightning, I was reinvested in the season. Not because of the family storyline, but because Cicada II finally weaponized the meta-human cure and we were about to enter the last stand.

But, the real hero of this episode was Ralph. He guessed that Cicada II / Gracie wasn’t acting on her own earlier in the episode. Of course, Barry was too tied up thinking about the immediate threat to pay attention. But in the closing moments of the episode when Gracie was defeated and Barry was about to use the tool that Nora stole last week to warp Cicada’s dagger away, Ralph had an epiphany.

Eobard Thawne has something to do with Gracie coming back from the future. It’s a part of his master plan to stop his execution! He used Gracie as a pawn and Nora as a distraction.

In next weeks season finale, we’re going to find out just what that plan is. I’m curious to find out if Ralph was successful in stopping Barry from warping the dagger, or if Thawne will be successful. I have a feeling that the Reverse Flash will once again become the main villain in The Flash series.

I am excited now.

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