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A Modern Cyberpunk Masterpiece

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I don’t play a lot of video games. Of the handful I have played, I only ever really got into one. But I’ll admit that I was interested when the game “Cyberpunk 2077” was being advertised. However, the game was full of glitches and bugs that instantly destroyed any hope of people getting into it. I’ve heard that they’ve released patches that help fix it, but the moment has past for the game. Having said that…an anime show based in that world was given the green light. Maybe the game sold enough copies to justify that decision or maybe it was an attempt to get more people interested. Regardless of what you might feel about the game, the show Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a glorious show that can be enjoyed entirely on it’s own merits.

While Cyberpunk is the name of the franchise, you might need a reminder that it’s also the name of an entire sub-genre of Science Fiction. Projects from this genre are set in a dystopia with highly advanced technology but often focuses on the people living at the bottom of society’s hierarchy. Usually criminals who live morally gray lives. While violence and sex play big parts of the genre, another important aspect is an exploration of how the advanced technology affects people and how it has changed how people view themselves and their lives.

Obviously, this show is filled with a lot of violence. Technology is used by Edgerunners (also called Cyberpunks) to complete mercenary contracts. This often involves people using technology to give themselves more advanced weapons or tech-based abilities to give them an edge in combat. But in order to do this, the Cyberpunks’ body has to be physically altered. A common upgrade is an arm being altered where it opens up and pulls out some sort of firearm. That’s just one example of a Cyberpunk getting upgrades, or chrome, to change their body. Since a lot of Edgerunners have significantly added tech to their bodies, this does seemingly imply that sex isn’t viewed in quite the same way.

There are a couple of scenes towards the end of the show where the two main characters live together and are in a relationship. They are nude and that’s clearly shown on screen. But there is a sense of disinterest. While I’m sure these characters have had sex, we don’t actually see any of the characters having sex on screen. And when we do see characters nude on screen, it also clearly shows how their bodies have been physically changed. How the “skin” on top of their chrome probably isn’t actually skin anymore. This adds an interesting layer of analysis of how the characters and society of this world have altered life goals. Everyone is looking for a way to either join one of the powerful corporations that secretly run the city and move up the corporate ladder, or leave the city entirely. It’s an all in or all out mentality. But there is an interesting topic that connects these two sides and provides insight into what separates the criminals from the corporations.

In this show, there is a phenomenon called Cyberpsychosis. Over time, if anyone applies a significant amount of chrome to their body, it begins to affect their mental state. Some people have higher tolerances than others, and they can take a drug to manage early symptoms and delay the inevitable. But sooner or later, that person looses their grip on reality and they are triggered to go on a killing spree, often resulting in that person being killed in combat. This medical condition does shine some light on interesting details. Cyberpunks know that their time is limited and that Cyberpsychosis will eventually claim their lives. The goal of most all Cyberpunks is to make enough money to leave this life with their mind intact. But they often push themselves despite experiencing early signs of the condition, which more often than not speeds up the condition and takes them before they achieve their goals.

As for the people who are employed by the corporations of this world, they don’t really care about how this affects the Cyberpunks. They are mercenaries hired to perform jobs for them and all they care about is if it gets done as requested. They will even put the blame on the Cyberpunks themselves for being so addicted to tech or chrome and letting themselves be overtaken by the condition. But when you live in a world like in this franchise where even the average citizen has small amounts of chrome in their body, it becomes a necessity to survive. The risk needs to be taken because chrome is the only way they can become good at what they do and find work to change their lives. Not realizing themselves that the more chrome they get and the longer they are a part of the Cyberpunk life, the less likely it is they will be able to leave it alive.

So much of this world and show provides interesting insight into themes and idea that define the Cyberpunk genre. And the characters focused on in the show demonstrate just how heartbreaking and dangerous this kind of life can truly get. The main male lead, David, starts off as just a regular student. And while his mother is a paramedic that secretly supplies Cyberpunks with new tech/chrome, she doesn’t want her son in that life and has high hopes of him being a high ranking member of a corporation. But following the mother’s death, David is left with no alternative but to become a Cyberpunk. The main female lead, Lucy, was used for years by a corporation to achieve some of their darker and more illegal goals. But she escaped years ago and is a Cyberpunk in the hope of getting enough money to leave the city entirely. The two end up meeting and they form a romantic relationship.

Over the course of the show, we see how Lucy slowly retreats from being a Cyberpunk while David gets more chrome and pushes himself closer to Cyberpsychosis. Lucy is still secretly working on trying to make sure she and David don’t get killed in the hope of leaving the city, while David is ironically risking his life in order to achieve that same dream. And while we are introduced to David first in the show, an argument can be made that Lucy is the real protagonist. In addition to seeing David’s deterioration as a viewer, we also see it from Lucy’s perspective. We feel the emotional turmoil their entire lifestyle inflicts on them, on everyone in this world to some extent. How conforming to the what this world requires from the average citizen forces them to slowly lose their humanity. But what’s interesting is that while this society does force them down this route, it is also partially due to their own choices. It brings up another discussion of just how much control one has over their life in a tech-based world like this.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is an excellent anime that shows us how cool but also dark the Cyberpunk genre is. The characters we follow in the show better demonstrate the effects the tech-based dystopia has on it’s citizens. It’s a world with no happy endings, but one filled with heartbreak. We want these characters to achieve their goals and their dreams, but the world around them keeps taking from them and altering their lives, to the point where nothing seems recognizable anymore. Yet it’s a show that people should watch and revisit for many years to come.

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An Analysis of Netflix’s The Sandman

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Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman” is a comics masterpiece. It was one of the titles that defined the tone and purpose of DC’s Vertigo imprint for mature readers. It explored fascinating ideas and introduced to complex characters in ways that mainstream comics back in the late 80s to mid 90s simply didn’t. Ever since the series ran it’s course, Hollywood has been trying for decades to find a way to adapt it. Different scripts for movies and mini-series have come and gone. But now it has found a home on the Netflix streaming service. And now is also the time to see if this was worth it.

But first, something that should be addressed. When it comes to any kind of adaptations, people talk about it almost as if being adapted is some sort of validation. Regardless if the story originated from comics or books or if it’s just a transfer from a different entertainment medium (you remember the nightmare fuel that is “Cats”?), there are people who think a story isn’t truly recognized as being great until Hollywood adapts it. A similar feeling can be said about how people view live-actions movies and shows as opposed to animated versions. But I want to set the record straight – regardless of how this show turned out or how you feel about it, the original comic has been and will always be amazing. This story – or any story from any other medium for that matter – doesn’t need Hollywood’s interest in order to be recognized as such. But since this entire post is supposed to be about said adaptation, let’s focus on that.

Something you should know is that the pacing of the show and how it approaches telling it’s first season isn’t quite the same as the average show. It tells it very much like how a comic book series would tell it. Let me try and explain it better. Take a look at “Stranger Things” – season 1 introduced a mystery and threat that was resolved by the end of the season. We followed a certain set of characters throughout the entire season. And the finale left us with a cliffhanger for things that might come in the next season. And the same can be said for all the other season installments. This isn’t the same mode that “The Sandman” uses. For the first 5 episodes, there is a certain set of characters we follow. But by then end of those 5 episodes, most of them are gone from the show. After a standalone story in episode 6, the remaining 4 focus on a new set of characters. The main one of this set being briefly introduced in episode 5 but not really a part of that episode’s story. While the finale does sort of leave us with a more traditional season finale tease in one aspect, the vast majority of the season does have a different pace than what people might be expecting.

This can be explained by the fact that season 1 actually adapts the first 2 volumes of the 10 volume series. That at first seems like a lot to pack in 10 episodes where none of them go above an hour. But then you realize that if they had just stuck to volume 1, the show would be facing criticism of dragging out and padding story-lines that didn’t need it. So in reality, this approach not only stays true to the pacing and method of the original comics, but also keeps the show more focused. Many people have said that the second half of the season is better than the first half. While that is technically true, that doesn’t mean the first half is bad by any means. It’s just that the opening story-line is one so many Sandman comics fans are familiar with. And it follows the same general main character plot that can be found in numerous other stories. It’s really just an issue of the first half being so familiar and the second half focusing on material people probably would never think they would see adapted.

So now we get into the actual meat of the show. How faithful is it? Does it do the original material justice? All those questions fans of the original version will have. And if you ask me…the show is pretty damn good. The tone is very similar to the original comics, one that deals with oftentimes dark themes but approached in a mature fashion. The performances from all the characters are well done. Dream of The Endless is portrayed in a way that is remarkably similar to the comics. He may not show much visible expression, but when it does show, you can tell that it is important. And you can also pick up on the way he moves and talks and see how his mood changes based on that. And the rest of the characters are portrayed as having a fair amount of complexity to them. Even several of the antagonists of the show have a couple more layers to them than you might give them credit for.

Now, as with all other adaptations, there are bound to be some changes. But the vast majority of said changes are really nit-picky in the grand scheme of things. And keep in mind, changes regarding how certain characters appear in the show aren’t really an issue. Lucifer, Death and other similar supernatural entities like them aren’t characters that stick to certain physical attributes and characteristics. Any criticism regarding those changes just aren’t a big deal. Most of the changes in the show are done in order to keep it separate from all other DC projects going on in Hollywood. There are still various easter eggs and vague references that comic fans will pick up on. But the reason why certain actors weren’t cast or why certain character backstories are altered is to make sure newcomers can more easily watch the show. And perhaps they will be encouraged to check out the original comics and start down a rabbit hole for themselves in DC lore.

Having said that, I did pick up on two major changes that are worth addressing. One is the character of Johanna Constantine. Back when this character was cast, it was believed it was a gender-swapped version of the character John Constantine. Is this true? Well…no and yes. No because Johanna Constantine is a separate character. She is John’s ancestor and has her own encounter with Dream in the late 18th Century. And that story is shown in the first season. But I also say yes because the actress who plays Johanna Constantine in the late 18th Century also plays a different Johanna in the modern day who is a descendant. She joins Dream during a mission in episode 3 that in the comics was fulfilled by John Constantine. The most likely reason for this is, again, to keep this project separate from other projects that have included the character John Constantine. And considering the changes Warner Brothers studio is going through, is probably for the best. But the decision to have one actress play two different characters that have the both first and last name is a curious choice. The actress does a fine job, but I do wonder why they didn’t decide to come up with a different first name for the modern Constantine and have a different actress portray them. But since the actress does a good job, it isn’t a question that bugs me.

The other major change worth addressing if the nightmare Gault. She is responsible for a conflict that was originally fulfilled by two different nightmares and their motivations were rooted in desire for power. But her motivation in the show actually touches on a major theme of both the comics and the show – change. I won’t go into too much detail since the show just released at the time of this being written. But it does connect to how so much how has happened between the first and final episode. And the desire from several characters to see things change for the better. This is something that Dream ultimately recognizes and even admits that he can’t be the same as he once was. It is rather a nice way for the season to bookend his character development.

This character and story didn’t need to be adapted to prove it is a wonderful story. But the fact that it is as good as it is shows how much respect the story has from so many people. Fans of the comics should find a lot to enjoy with the show. And if you haven’t read the comics, I’m willing to bet this will still get them engaged. The original comics talked a bit about the power stories have on people. And this different yet very faithful version shows just how never-ending this particular story is.

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My Thoughts on All Members of The Umbrella Academy (Seasons 1 – 3)

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I really want to talk about this show. And I feel the best way to do that is by talking about the main characters and looking on their growth. Let’s be honest, the overall stories for each season is roughly the same. There is an abstract threat that will cause the apocalypse as well as a more physical threat somehow connected. That part of this show isn’t as important as the characters. As well as the trauma they are trying to resolve and their efforts to become better people. With that in mind, I wanted to air out my thoughts on all members of team.

I want to start with Luther & Diego. Because they actually do have a few things in common. Both have been driven by a subconscious need to seek their father’s approval. That usually means both end up focused on the mission at hand. Which often results in them making decisions without the input of their other family members and can cause more harm than good. But with Diego, I ended up really hating him when the third season came around. He is constantly trying to fight everyone and everything he deems a problem without considering any other way to handle the situation. He is focused on being a vigilante first and foremost. I will grant that at the end of the third season he does have something to fight for besides simply being in charge. But that doesn’t cancel out that is often at odds with what his other family members are doing to try and resolve their bigger problems.

Luther on the other hand doesn’t go that far. Yes, being a team is important to him. But he is more concerned about fitting in and actually being a part of the family. There is one point in season 3 where he feels that they really aren’t a family, but rather people connected through shared trauma. And you can understand why he wants to keep everyone together in the beginning of the show and fit in. After he is mutated by their father, he just ended up being shipped off to the moon where he was utterly alone. His journey to try and feel a genuine emotional connection with his family is understandable. And yes, there were times at the beginning of the show where he makes wrong decisions that risk splitting them further apart. But he does show some level of regret and remorse. That’s why when he gets a relationship in season 3, I do feel happy for him. OK, it does start pretty much out of the blue. But by the end I have come to care for that relationship.

Let’s then move on to Klaus. Easily one of my favorites characters on the show. The main thing to understand about him is that he just wants a peaceful existence. While there might have been times early on in the show where he seems to enjoy some of the drama playing out, there are more instances where he is trying to stop things from escalating. He ultimately just wants everyone to get along and find their inner balance. I’m tempted to say he is the character probably most in tune with his emotions. But then again, he is a drug addict that tries to ignore his own trauma than confront it. Yet he still ends up putting in effort to try and grow and deal with his own issues. And he is perfectly willing to help his other family members with their own problems as well as help with the bigger issues facing their entire unit. He is a delightful character to watch on screen for the comedic moments but also for his own personal journey.

And now we move onto Allison, Five, & Viktor. This batch…is a lot more complicated. Let’s start with arguably the easiest to talk about, which is Five. Another one of my favorites, and that’s partly because he is technically an old grouchy man in the body of a young kid. Something about that just speaks to my own personality. Anyway, he spent decades alone at the end of the world until he was recruited to be a time traveling assassin. He is obviously the most experienced, disciplined, and focused member of the Umbrella Academy. He makes the most progress in dealing with the larger threats and coming up with plans to save the world on multiple occasions.

But he is also arrogant, mean to his other family members, doesn’t communicate with his family about what he’s doing – simply put, not the easiest to get along with. A lot of this can be explained by his past. He spent years and years alone in a post-apocalypse landscape. It would make sense why he would often not communicate with his family about what he’s doing. But as someone who ended up spending just as much time working under the thumb of an organization, you would think he would come to understand when communication is important from a strategy viewpoint. Five has spent so much time being alone and doing morally questionable things that his philosophy is often mixed and a bit contradictory. That latter part we’ll circle back to. But there is a little time spent in season 3 where he does seem to let the fact he is reunited with his family sink in. Where he is allowing himself to feel instead of using cold logic and thinking to deal with everything around him. Definitely one of the most sympathetic characters on the team.

But then there is Allison. Poor Allison…she started off as one of the most like-able characters on the team. But then the third season happened and the show put her through some harsh struggles. Granted, some of that struggle is a result of what she went through the first first couple of seasons. But the main issue she has to deal with is that she is in a new timeline where her daughter never existed. This is the main thing that drives her character arc throughout season three and it’s understandable. But it is also frustrating to see what happens to her and what she ends up doing. She is mean and more violent in the third season. Picking fights in the middle of the night, using her voice power to force Luther to almost have sex with him against his will. Meaning she tried to rape him. And when she found out that Harlan – who used to be a young boy that Viktor helped raise back in the 1960s in Dallas and accidentally gave powers to – was the person who killed the mothers of all the Umbrella Academy members…she killed him. And she would later admit that she didn’t feel better or worse afterwards. She didn’t feel a thing when it came to taking a human life.

Here is one of the things that can be frustrating about this show. It can be argued that this is a deconstruction of superheroes. Or that it really isn’t even about superheroes, but just a dysfunctional family trying to deal with shared trauma. And there is a case for that. This show is based on comics from Gerard Way, who was heavily influenced by Grant Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol. Gerard would even go on to write for Doom Patrol for a short while. But there are multiple times on the show where it makes clear that most – if not all – of the Umbrella Academy sees themselves as superheroes. There is a conversation between Five & Viktor towards the end of season 3 that I found a bit…wrong. This conversation follows the aftermath that Viktor was hiding the revelation about what Harlan did – on accident remind you – and lied about turning him over to the Sparrow Academy who would undoubtfully murder him in retaliation for him accidentally killing a couple of their members. Viktor lied about turning over Harlan so that he could try and take back the power he gave him. Even though this would complicate the larger issue of gaining access to the source of the Grandfather Apocalypse within the Sparrow Academy and figure out a way to save the world.

Anyway, the conversation between Viktor & Five feels off to me. While Five admits that they are all worried about Allison and what she did to Harlan – as well as the way she chewed out Viktor in front of them – he is more worried about Viktor. This is understandable because he did technically go against what the rest of the family agreed on and risked the end of the world. But there is a specific part of this conversation that I’m going to paraphrase here. Five defines a supervillain as a superhero who works alone and doesn’t listen to anyone. And while he hopes Viktor never becomes one, he won’t be afraid to kill him if it ever comes to it.

This…really gets to me. Five isn’t technically wrong with his supervillain definition. Yes, villains do often work alone and they often become villains because they are so convinced that their stance on something is the only way and refuses to compromise. But the tricky thing about this definition is context. These specific traits don’t always apply to supervillains. The way I see it is this – supervillains are driven by selfish needs. Sometimes a selfish need to prove themselves over everyone else. And they do it at the expense of innocent people. Not caring if they hurt or kill them. Viktor risked a lot when he went against his family’s plan in regards to Harlan. But he was driven by a need to save someone from certain death. Even trying to take back the thing that has been a burden on him for his entire life. And keep in mind, Harlan didn’t mean to cause any harm. He was someone who struggled to keep in control of his powers. He had no training unlike the Umbrella Academy and he held onto a lot of regret and guilt that were the result of his actions.

There is a lot of nuance around the topic of when is it OK to take a life. Certain situations such as protecting yourself and wartime are considered OK for that, even if it is at best a morally gray area. But superheroes are meant to save people no matter what. The phrase “there is always another way” can be overused in this context, but it’s the truth. And it can applied in this case where Viktor didn’t need to lie to his family. The entire team could have realized that there has to be a better way to deal with their situation that doesn’t involve someone like Harlan dying. And let’s not kid ourselves, the Sparrows would have happily killed Harlan. I also want to point out that despite the argument some of the Umbrella Academy make about how one life isn’t as important as saving the entire universe, there came a time when several of them ended up saying no to a plan that could reboot the universe and save everyone. Yea, some of those same Umbrella Academy members said no to that plan and elected to just let everything end. This is why superheroes aren’t nihilists, it makes them make dumb decisions like that!

I do know some of the arguments about why some of them decided not to go with that plan. Doesn’t really make it right but I know and understand them. Which is why when you realize what does happen to get them all to go through with the plan, it makes them look selfish. I’ll concede that Viktor is one of the people who passed on the plan, which doesn’t mean it was the right decision. I just want to point out that Five – the same guy who argued that saving one life isn’t as important as saving the entire universe – also passed on the plan to reboot the universe and brings billions back to life. The same guy who in that conversation with Viktor identified himself as one of the superheroes. An assassin who killed people, regardless of motivation, and doesn’t communicate with his team or even sometimes listen to what they have to say in case what they have to say could be important.

The point of that long rant is this. Allison has become a villain. And despite a last minute attempt at redemption, I still view her as a villain for what she did, how she felt about it, and the way she treated Viktor afterwards. And Five, despite wanting to stop apocalypses, shouldn’t really be classified as a hero either and that he was willing to go through with decisions that went against his view of himself as a hero. Which finally brings me to the final member of the Umbrella Academy, Viktor.

And it’s here we need to address something important. In between seasons 2 and 3, the actor who portrayed this character came out as transgender. The actor formerly known as the woman Ellen Page came out as a man and is now Elliot Page. The people behind the show were very supportive of him and even incorporated this into the show for his character because his character had previously been a woman named Vanya. While there were concerns about how the show would handle this transition, they ended handling it with a lot of care and respect. It is acknowledged and other members of the Umbrella Academy where supportive when their sibling came out to them within the show’s season. I can be nit picky about how I think two characters should have switched their reactions to the revelation, I will still give the show a lot of credit for how it was handled. And it does make sense for the fictional character’s journey. The seventh member of the Umbrella Academy had felt overlooked and ignored their entire life because it was believed they didn’t have any powers. And when it turned out they did, they were at first seen as a threat to take down instead of a family member to reach out and connect with. And when given a clean slate via time travel, they were able to discover who they were away from the trauma and family. Being transgender wasn’t the only trait of this character. But it is an important part. The show did a great job finding that right balance.

Even if this wasn’t a part of the character’s journey within the show, Viktor still is my favorite of the Umbrella Academy. The entire focus of his journey from the beginning was to connect with his family. Which speaks to a lot of the issues that the other Umbrella Academy members deal with. More often than not, they split up and end up dealing with their own issues and problems alone with no supports. But Viktor wanting to make amends for some things he has done in the past and want to help out his family with their own makes him the most sympathetic and kindest character. Even when he was apparently at risk of becoming a villain according to Five’s bulls*** logic in season 3, he refused to believe that any amount of death was justifiable for the greater good. Which is exactly the kind of mindset a true superhero should have. Yes, he has issues in previous seasons where he has unwittingly become an obstacle for his family to deal with. But it is clear that unlike Allison in season 3, Viktor feels regret and guilt and wants to do better.

And there you have it. All my thoughts on all of the Umbrella Academy members. I even ended up going over some plot points that should indicate how I feel about the show so far. There is nothing left but to hope that the Umbrella Academy finally resolves their issues and start to feel and act like a real family.

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The One Failure of the HBO Show Watchmen

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I need a mini rant about something before we actually get to the topic at hand. Why is this show simply titled “Watchmen”? That’s the name of the original story. How come every sequel rebooting a franchise has to have the same name as the original? Blumhouse did it for their first Halloween film, the 5th installment of the “Scream” franchise did it, the Netflix Texas Chainsaw Massacre film did it. If your story is following up on events from previous films or installments, then you have to do better to identify it as a separate entity! Why is Hollywood’s lack of creativity progressing to project titles?! All right…I’m sorry, just needed to get that out there. let’s actually get to the problem regarding this specific show.

Before you get mad, I should say I think HBO overall did a great job with this show. I definitely would recommend it for fans of the graphic novel. Especially if you are someone who is looking for a sequel that’s more like Alan Moore’s writing style and the grounded take he approached. The world has progressed in an organic way from the graphic novel’s ending, we explore fascinating aspects of this world’s past and are introduced to a whole set of engaging new characters. The show deals with the nature of power, Racism, and explores many similar themes and ideas that Alan Moore once did. But having said that, there is one part of this show that I feel it ultimately failed to do justice. And it comes back to our favorite superhero advocating for nudity – Doctor Manhattan.

They do a few things with this character in the show. Manhattan seems to possess the ability to transfer his powers to someone else. And that’s hinted at in the final episode where Angela eats an egg that might have been imbued by Manhattan with his powers. But we don’t actually see if she inherited them, leaving it open to interpretation. This I’m actually good with. It is completely logical that this would be in his power and he did do something like this in Doomsday Clock. The second thing the show does with him is apparently show he has a weakness. The bad guys apparently use this special kind of battery to power a machine that has the ability to permanently kill Doctor Manhattan. I…look, Adrian was able to hide his real plan from Manhattan during the events of the graphic novel. It had to with a certain type of particle that could shield themselves from how Manhattan viewed time. But Adrian thought he could also kill him, only to see him reappear as a giant right in front of him. Resurrection is literally the first ability that Manhattan learned how to master. You MIGHT be able to find a way, but you have to come up with something really convincing. And I don’t think the show did that to explain how they were able to kill the blue man.

But the real issue is his motivation. The reason why Manhattan is in this show, the reason why he is interacting with these characters. We are shown that he did leave Earth for a while and did experiment in creating intelligent life. But then one day he turned his attention back to Earth and saw Angela. He came back and met her because he had fallen in love with her. Let me repeat that. Doctor Manhattan – the man whose whole story in the original was related to how he felt himself disconnecting with his emotions and fell out of love with two women – had fallen in love and that’s why he returns to Earth. I…no. Just a simple no. I can’t accept that as a believable motivation for this character.

Let me better clarify Manhattan’s story. To say he had fallen out of love might be interpreted as he no longer has feelings. But that would be inaccurate. He does return with Laurie to confront Adrian about his manipulative plan about creating world peace. Even though he felt like life had no meaning throughout most of the story, the talk he and Laurie has on Mars did remind him about how spectacular it is. And the graphic novel does show he still cares for Laurie and Dan. But the intensity of emotions he feels isn’t the same as it was before his transformation. It’s more like he cares about them the same way some people might care for a family pet. He’s fond of them, recognizes that he does have an emotional connection to them. But he still sees himself as superior and doesn’t believe he actually needs them like they might need him. And keep in mind, he ultimately decided that Adrian’s plan was the way to go. Whether or not he agrees with it is irrelevant. Manhattan is fundamentally a scientist and has a different set of principals than his former teammates.

Look, Doomsday Clock is not a perfect story. I actually made a post going into further details about that Watchmen sequel, including going over some flaws. But Manhattan’s role and purpose in that story was more faithful. The way we are introduced to him in that comic matches up where we left him in the original and we actually see in that comic how he changes by the end. But we don’t really get that in the HBO show. We don’t really get why Manhattan suddenly finds himself in love again. But he is important to the themes the show wants to explore so they needed to find a way to bring him in. And don’t get me wrong, having Manhattan in this show is the right decision. The show is still overall great. But their handling of the character prevents me from fully realizing this as a faithful follow up to the original story.

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His Dark Materials: Season 2 Review

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The second season of the BBC adapts the second book of Philip Pullman’s trilogy, “The Subtle Knife”. And it’s this season where we see multiple characters travel across multiple worlds. There is Lyra’s world, Will’s world which is a stand-in for our own, and the world of the seemingly empty city called Cittàgazze. When Lyra & Will meet, they quickly realize they can help each other and work as a team while the Magisterium works to find both kids and the items they possess.

The performances of all characters involved are solid. Dafne Keen continues to play a faithful version of Lyra as well as a realistic kid of her age. Amir Wilson does a good job of portraying Will Parry, a young kid who kills an agent in self defense. The agent in question is one of many working with the Magisterium to find information regarding Will’s father who appears to have found his own way to travel between worlds. But Will himself becomes a target once he comes into possession the subtle knife which can open portals between worlds. While people searching for Lyra are looking to steal the alethiometer – a golden compass that can answer any question – it turns out Lyra herself is somehow integral to the fight between the Magisterium & Asriel with his supporters.

In this season, new yet similar themes are explored. During Lyra’s time on Will’s Earth, she comes across a physicist named Dr. Mary Malone. The golden compass points Lyra towards her because Dr. Malone is researching Dark Matter which Lyra identifies as Dust. And surprisingly enough – all though faithful to what happens in the book – they are able to find a way to communicate with Dust itself. This is the part of the story that introduces the idea of approaching a subject from multiple different viewpoints. The Magisterium only allows their interpretation of Dust to be considered the right one and suppresses any thoughts that contradict that. But here we see that progress does get made when coming at it from a more unbiased perspective. Thus feeding into the established theme of seeking out knowledge and learning to think for yourself instead of what corrupt authority says to think.

We also see the further exploration of the morally gray areas that both sides of this conflict operate in. On the one hand, the Magisterium is valid in the belief that if the truth comes out regarding how the universe truly operates, it could send society into chaos and destruction. And Asriel and his allies will often go to drastic lengths to achieve their goals regardless of whose lives are lost. But while The Church seeks to control everything and hold onto power for selfish reasons, Asriel does seek to have people become independent and free from the control of The Church & The Authority, which is this world’s equivalent of God.

Season two is a strong continuation of the show and does a good job on adapting Pullman’s work. The characters remain enjoyable and interesting to watch with a well written story that explores ideas that most other young adult books/adaptations only vaguely touch upon. Here’s to seeing how season three closes out the story.

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His Dark Materials: Season 1 Review

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Studios can’t seem to get enough of Young Adult novel adaptations. Of course, it’s easily understandable why. The success of the “Harry Potter” films show that they can be great franchises. But aside from a couple of series, there aren’t a lot that have nailed the landing. One such attempt was when Hollywood tried to adapt Philip Pullman’s trilogy “His Dark Materials”. But when the first movie “The Golden Compass” came out in 2007, it wasn’t well received by audiences and criticized for watering down or even cutting out the best commentary and themes from the original book. But now the BBC have decided to adapt all three books into a TV show to be aired in both the UK and the US.

Welcome to the world of His Dark Materials! The world is ruled by the Magisterium AKA The Church, an international theocracy that rules the civilized part of the world. Outside of their influence are witches that possess a variety of supernatural abilities and a kingdom of talking bears that wear armor. And yes, that does sound as cool and as fascinating as it sounds. But regardless of where you live in this world, every person has what is known as a dæmon. These are the physical personifications of a person’s soul that can talk and interact with the world. However, the rule of the Magisterium is threatened when a scholar named Asriel comes across the possibility of multiple universes. But the story follows a young girl named Lyra and her dæmon Pan when she discovers Asriel is not her uncle but secretly her father and she goes on a journey to find where he is hiding and find her kidnapped friend. Along the way she joins a group of people who are also seeking answers and looking to fight back at the Magisterium.

First off, this is a well written show. It stays loyal to the ideas presented in the novels and the characterizations of the main players. Any major changes made have less to do with changing the message and more so with just having the show be a little more practical. While the books have people with a wide variety of dæmons with different forms, we don’t see a lot of them in the show. A line of dialogue establishes that people don’t feel the need to have their dæmons be visible all the time. While that does bring up the question of how far a dæmon can be from their person or how many different forms they can actually take, it doesn’t affect the quality of the show. There is a subplot in the first season that takes place on a parallel world, one that is supposed to be a stand-in for our own world following a young boy named Will. While this doesn’t show up until the second book, including it makes sense on a couple of levels. First, it helps establish what the main story will be in the next season. And second, it helps show the power and agenda of the Magisterium.

And the larger focus on the Magisterium in the first season is another change from the first book. “The Golden Compass” doesn’t spend a lot of time with them as it stays more with Lyra and the people she directly interacts with. But focusing on them in the first season not only gives the viewers a better understanding of who they are, but it also firmly established the main threat for the entire show. A big focus of both the show and the books is criticizing the behavior and methods employed by organized religions. How people with power are often corrupted and make decisions that contradict their own religious beliefs in order to advance their own agenda and rise up in the ranks. It also shows how The Church will suppress ideas that contradict the beliefs of their religion, even though a couple of members do know the existence of multiple worlds and even travel to them in secret. This is used to show the lengths an organized institution will go to in order to hold onto their power and keep knowledge they consider dangerous a secret. The show takes it’s time to explore it well.

And while there are good and bad sides, the show and the books do show there is still a lot of gray areas. Lyra discovers her mother, known as Mrs. Coulter, works for the Magisterium on an experiment concerning Dust. This is considered to be the result of Original Sin and the Magisterium hide it’s existence but allow experiments to be made. Mrs. Coulter believes it could be related to a person’s dæmon and conducts experiments in trying to separate the connection between a person and their soul. A lot of people have died, mainly young children. And yet when Lyra is about to go through with the experiment, she stops it from happening. And Asriel, while framed as a good guy throughout most of the story, goes through with the severing the connection between a young boy and his dæmon in order to open a door to another world, killing the child.

One of the main themes of the show and books is seeking out knowledge and thinking for yourself, which is well displayed in the first season. But another idea focused on the first season is realizing that nothing is as it seems and sometimes the morally right thing to do is not the easiest or the one you think it is. The first season does a great job at adapting the first book and I look forward to the future seasons.

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The Boys Presents: Diabolical – There Will be Blood

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WARNING! This contains spoilers!

Amazon’s adaptation of “The Boys” comic books have become a massive hit for the service. With two seasons already released, it has become insanely popular. With that popularity naturally comes discussions of how to expand the show and it’s universe. The first one out of the gate is this animated anthology series. With people like Seth Rogen, Awkwafina, Anthony Starr, Don Cheadle, and even comic book creator Garth Ennis working on this series, you can expect to see a wide variety of stories that will satisfy you until the next season of the main show comes out.

There is a wide variety of animation styles used for these stories. From a style influenced by classic Looney Tunes shorts to styles heavily influenced by Japanese animation, this show will try a little bit of everything. Some visual styles might be more to your liking than others, but that’s okay. Because all of the stories features in this anthology can fit right into the tone of the main show.

In the first episode, no dialogue is spoken and it takes it’s influence from Looney Tunes to tell the story. A scientist trying to free a super baby from Vought before she is terminated, a lot of physical comedy can be expected. Physical comedy that is drenched in blood of course. But there are a couple of episodes that have more of a dramatic leaning. One of the final episodes focuses on an elderly couple, the husband works as a janitor for Vought and steals Compound V in the hopes it will cure his wife with Pancreatic Cancer. The episode has a lot of death as it has an unintended effect on the cancer within the wife’s body. But it is arguably the most human episode of the entire series. You do feel the desperation and the sadness of the two main characters, as well as how much they care for each other. Even though the husband doesn’t want to loose her, he does realize that in order to do the right thing that he must let of his feelings and come to peace with loosing the love of his life.

But there is one question that does need to be addressed. Even though this is an anthology, does it actually take place in the main show’s universe? The answer is both yes and no. It really does depend on the episode. The final episode shows a young Homelander just joining The Seven and going on his first mission. It contains both Stan Edgar and Madelyn Stillwell to establish, with the latter especially showing early signs of grooming him and establishing the relationship we later see in the first season. We also see how Homelander starts off wanting to be a genuine superhero but ultimately loses control. The only other Supe in the episode, Black Noir, helps him cover it up and tell a story that earns the newest Supe support and admiration. This also establishes a level of respect for Black Noir that we see Homelander briefly show in a couple of episodes from the main show.

Another episode that can easily exist in the main universe is one that sees the debut of Groundhawk. But the focus of the episode is on the young daughter of two Supes, Nubian Prince & Nubia. The two of them are on the brink of divorce and the daughter seeks out Groundhawk to recreate the first battle her parents had together that began their relationship. While it does briefly rekindle their romance, it comes at the cost of the two of them seemingly killing Groundhawk as well as leaving emotional scars on their child who witnesses the entire thing. Ultimately pushing her to get her parents to sign the divorce papers.

But there are episodes that make it a little tricky to see existing in the same universe as the original show. There is one particular episode that, while definitely well done, basically makes it impossible. Written by original comic creator Garth Ennis, Billy Butcher confronts a guy who sells drugs for the Supe community and gets him to inject something into the drugs that he plans to give to a Supe about to be entered into the Hall of Fame. The events of the episode don’t contradict anything from the live action show. But character inclusions and appearances do go against what has already been established. Hughie shows up in the episode with a look that’s more in line with the comics than the live action show. And The Seven includes the Supe known as Jack from Jupiter, an actual alien. The live action show doesn’t have any indication a character like that was on the team in the main show, nor does the show have any signs that aliens actually exist either. Meaning that this episode does have to take place outside of the show’s universe in order to exist.

But at the end of the day, that’s for the best. A few episodes that can’t take place in the live action show’s main universe with a couple that could feasibly be integrated in. The rules don’t have to matter as long as an interesting and entertaining story can be presented. And that’s what you get with all eight episodes. With all the characteristics and trademarks that helped Amazon’s main show become a smash hit. The good, the bloody, & the nasty.

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The Universal Themes of Cobra Kai

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Of all of the crazy & awesome films from the 1980s, who would have thought that “The Karate Kid” would spawn a TV continuation years later that would become a pop culture phenomenon? That’s not to say that “The Karate Kid” is by any means bad. While it had a familiar sports story, it integrated in themes of Eastern Philosophy and had a uniquely engaging mentor character that helped the film stand out. And it was popular enough to get 3 film sequels. But how do you continue a film series when the one character to appear in all films – Mr. Miyagi portrayed by Pat Morita – can no longer be used? The answer is simple. Make it about the villains.

Decades after the events of the original film, Johnny Lawrence – played by William Zabka – is barely getting by in life. Just got fired from his job, hasn’t seen his son in who knows how long, barely keeping everything together. One day his car gets wrecked and he ends up at one of many dealerships own by rival Daniel LaRusso. This sparks a fire inside Johnny that pushed him to reopen the dojo he used to train at, Cobra Kai. He gets the anger and attention of LaRusso, but with the help of his first student Miguel, Johnny brings back his dojo and the lessons taught him as a child. And with them, the consequences they create.

While this show does show a redemption arc for Johnny, it’s themes go beyond that. Johnny is someone who remembers the past fondly, from his own perspective. The way he views the events of the original film is different from how Daniel recalls it. But the longer he dwells in the past – such as teaching the same lessons to his students taught to him – he begins to realize that not everything was exactly how he remembered it. He sees the growing anger and aggression in some of his students that turn them into the bullies he was helping them to fight back against. And when his old sensei John Kreese returns and Johnny accepts his offer to help train, he begins to fully realize that he needs real change. Not simply repeat the past.

And that is ultimately what the show explores. How nostalgia and wanting to recreate it only creates a cycle that can’t be broken. How if you try to only pull from what you know, you will only repeat the same mistakes over and over. The history of violence and aggression once taught to Johnny by John Kreese simply returns to a new generation. Once again creating an aura of violence and hostility in the community that thought they had moved past.

But there is a bright side to this exploration. Johnny does end up recognizing what is happening around him and tries to find a new way forward. Even working with Daniel LaRusso and learn some of his teachings. His bond with his first student Miguel also pushes him to grow into a better person. And while Terry Silver may be keen on keeping to Cobra Kai’s lessons, John Kreese is also seemingly experiencing a chain of heart as well. Characters that were once fully committed to Cobra Kai are now beginning to question themselves and start a journey of self discovery. These themes are surprisingly relevant, especially in a Hollywood culture that seems stuck on reviving past movies and shows. But Cobra Kai sets the standard of how to do a revival, mixing in old and new, while also teaching valuable life lessons in every episode.