My first thought when they uploaded her: They're doing a River! The second: Gotta get on AV Club and confirm that I'm not the only geek getting a flashback here….Thank you!

I need to find ways to include the phrase "nuances of villainy" in my everyday conversations.

"I don't want a drink. I want ten drinks." Leo, I miss you.

admittedly, I didn't really remember that. I think at the time it felt too much like a story tool for the soul-getting-decision to really register. Which included that the writers had to use attempted rape because over the course of the season Buffy had attacked Spike so often (for a short period, she was technically…

I'm with Joss all the way. Never really got the Buffy-Angel-thing, the pairing made no sense to me, personality and otherwise. Plus, Spike got his soul because he WANTED one - a sentiment Angelus never shared - so in my book Spike won the 'better man' competition hands down in several ways.

Wow, I think that really captures what was wrong with that speech, thanks for putting it so succinctly.

True, but not really new, is it? For example, when I grew up, it was MacGyver that played a similar role - no weapon but a Swiss army knife and a good brain.

It does not have to be dark. I just wanted the inspiration to be more than a speech. I want a scenario in which hope and inspiration actually leads to the normal people involved to contribute to the solution by doing something hopeful and inspired. Just think back a few episodes, when the citizens came to defend a…

In a decade of ever rising populism, with millions and millions of people blindly and unthinkingly swallowing the insane promises of all sorts of self-proclaimed saviors of all sorts of values and causes - it's not that far off, is it?

I'm not asking for realism. I'm fine with a hero inspiring people. Hey, I'm in fact a sucker for all sort of escapist fantasy riding ion inspiring heroes, you have no idea. But this version? The whole planet succumbs to mind-control, everybody loses hope, then some super-person says on TV that you have to hang on to…

You have people giving inspiring sermons about hope at your parties? In that case, indeed, I'm wrong for the mix… ;-)

Or maybe you have to be mind-controlled by an alien to think building a wall makes sense?

Dear Hollywood!

So, the most obvious pop-cultural reference for a contemporary 'super-suit turned dangerous autonomous robot programme'-story is some episode of Futurama? It's not an embarrassing choice of story considering a certain 250 million dollar monstrosity imposed on movie audiences just last year?

Maybe, but the warrant did not seem to be the main problem. More important at the time was the inhuman-hunting monster ripping through a hospital full of innocent people. Lash might be locked up for the time being, but he is hardly the only enemy. The next Watchdog initiative os probably just around the corner.…

Good point. I seem to recall that he used to be someone who just wanted to do some good and make up for his past, only the thing that gave him purpose (Afterlife) turned out to be a lie, and the career he loved (medicine) was made impossible for no real reason.

The Lincoln debate definitely brings out my Mama Bear side - everybody heaps so much hate on the poor kid, makes me want to side with the underdog out of principle. That includes pointing out that there is not a shred of 'super dangerous' or 'bad boy' in his back story - his story is pretty consistently that of a…

When Jeremia Denvers handed Kara the glasses in the flashback, I thought for a moment he'd explain that the frame contains alien tech beaming a 'I'm not the alien you're looking for'-field. The lead comment was a bit of a let down.

to make it up, another re-watch: https://www.tonecartoons.co…

I guess if you don't knock once you reach the door, the whole "pledging your life to the cause" part gets derailed….