Not Phasma. There’s an (apparently quite solid) novel explaining that character’s backstory. 

King Bran has GRRM’s fingerprints all over it. Of course, in the novels it should actually feel earned instead of awkward and shoehorned in.

These kinds of episodes are what really makes this show worth watching. There doesn’t need to be some gigantic battle or shocking twist, just compelling characters interacting with each other. That’s where the juiciest stuff is, and it grants us clarity before the grand clusterfuck that will be next episode. The…

Thank the stars Jon already found about his parentage, I feared they would drag it out across several episodes. Now onto Daenerys’ reaction, which is what I’m most curious about (utter disbelief, probably). I mostly liked the episode as table-setting, probably the only one we’ll have this season given there are five…

I was wondering whether Civil War or BvS would be chosen for 2016, and then Deadpool is picked. Unexpected, but not unwelcome. 

This has to be Chibnall’s best work as showrunner yet. At last there’s a genuine threat to compliment the emotional beats which we already know are his strengths. Caroline is on-point when she mentions that this episode has a vitality the other Chibnall-penned ones this season lacked, and I also believe it’s the…

Last week I wrote that I was afraid we were going to get another adequate but unspectacular story from Chibnall. For good and for worse, my prediction turned out to be true. His strengths as a writer-the humor, the emotional moments, the character interactions-all shine here, but so do his weak spots-undercooked…

This was really good. I’m always up for weird stuff in Doctor Who, and conceptually daring stories always have something of value in my view even when they don’t quite succeed, but this one mostly did. Aside from the structural and pacing issues caused by the Anti-Zone and the feeling that Yasmin continues to be…

This might be the first episode of the whole season with a traditional Doctor Who villain that feels like a proper threat (we had Manish last week, but there was the whole familial angle which complicated matters). I enjoyed it a lot. An easy to follow plot with some fun twists, really well-rounded guest characters,…

We’re four for four episodes in this season as far as I’m concerned, even if all of them have fallen into the “good but not great” category for me. Chibnall’s strength continues to be the small character moments and interactions, but he struggles with creating interesting antagonists and resolutions to the weekly…

Best episode of this season so far. The show managed to deal with an extremely tricky subject matter in a thoughtful and respectful way. Not only was Rosa Parks spot-on, but Yazmin and Ryan’s roles here really reinforced the episode’s messages and served as a reminder that racism is still alive and well. The idea of…

This was another fun if not spectacular episode. I continue enjoying the character interactions and suspenseful tone the most (Yazmin, though, was underused once again), but I didn’t really know what I was supposed to take away from the planet’s menaces and the rivalry between Epzo and Angstrom. Additionally, the way…

Thank you for that insightful review, Caroline. I quite enjoyed the episode. It managed to introduce the new Doctor and companions very economically but without losing sight of the emotional moments while also laying the grounds for further character development. Jodie Whittaker was mightily impressive and I’m more…

I keep wondering about how the author of these excellent pieces will choose between Iron Man and The Dark Knight. Both are iconic and extremely influential in their own way. Hopefully it’s kind of a double feature/comparison and neither is relegated to the “Other notable 2008 superhero movies” section.

Regardless of how one feels about his work, one has to acknowledge the man isn’t lazy.

He was wrong for assuming she had no plan and was conspiring with the First Order. We know that’s not the case. Also, given the very limited options the Resistance had, finding a base to send a distress signal seems a pretty good idea to me. The only reason why the plan failed was DJ, he threw a wrench into everything…

The problem is that if Ackbar had been the one to clash with Poe we would have sided with him from the get-go because he’s, well, Admiral Ackbar. The point of the Holdo subplot is to make the audience support Poe initially and then realize he’s actually wrong.

I think the point of the milking scene was to emphasize Luke’s sorry state at the beginning of the film, and to make his triumphant return at the end more powerful by contrast.

How was this not about the Skywalker family? Sure, the protagonist is not a Skywalker, but the story gives a very central place to Luke’s legacy, Kylo’s (he is a Skywalker) struggles and Leia’s leadership. 

I liked it all right as a fun, old-fashioned romp. I found the performances enjoyable and the lavish production design was pretty nice, plus I was genuinely intrigued by the mystery (I didn’t know the ending). The climax did feel quite rushed and Poirot’s reasonings didn’t land convincingly for me; but I had a good…