Exactly. You get the feeling from the beginning that something is up with Abigail, especially because she isn't seen interacting with characters other than Will.

What holds the second half of Season 2 together for me are Michael Pitt having the time of his life as Mason and the amazing dialogue. The build up to the finale is superb.

I think what made the Abigal fake out work for me is that she clearly represents the part of Will that wanted to leave with Hannibal. If it had been done for the sake of a cheap twist, I would have been far less forgiving.

To rephrase a little: I'm not troubled by every representation of rape (there's definitely an argument to be made that the Sansa rape had a purpose beyond "here's a shocking event"), but I do have issues with the prevalence of rape as a bad storytelling device, particularly for female characters. Yes, rape is a real…

Despite its popularity as a talking point, Whedon has stated that he was not driven off Twitter by feminists who were criticizing the characterization of Black Widow. He originally created an account to promote his films and has repeatedly talked about how he just isn't that into Twitter in general.

Yeah, I appreciate how Louis CK uses his jokes to make a point that's broader than what's initially apparent. When he seemingly targets a minority group, it's usually to criticize the societal issues that affect them, which is the difference between clever "offensive" jokes and jokes designed for maximum shock value.…

You're misinterpreting what the OP is saying. Rape itself isn't "cheap drama", but using it as a plot device can be when it seems like the rape is only there to add grittiness to a story. I think rape should be featured in shows, books, films, and so on, but I do sometimes take issue with stories that trivialize…

I'm not sure OP is suggesting that we should avoid depicting rape and violence as part of culture. Rape has been used in storytelling for ages, and it certainly has its place. Rather, I think the criticism is that far too many shows, books, films and other forms of entertainment use rape the moment they need…

Fair enough, but the characters on Agents of Shield have never been this interesting or compelling - the characters in Agent Carter are actually consistent!

Loved, loved, loved this episode. It wasn't as impressive as the first or second one (which had that great fight scene contrasted with the radio program), but the character work with Peggy and Jarvis was stellar. I like that she risked her already low reputation at the office to get him out of the interrogation…

Hey omondieu,

The Witch's comedy is very much intact.

Really? I thought her renditions of Stay With Me and Last Midnight were pretty much perfect for what the musical calls for. I know Bernadette Peters owned the role of the Witch, but the intensity of Meryl's Last Midnight is just fantastic. She hits the notes and brings the emotion that a Sondheim number requires. …

Fuck that. Streep's hilarious in Death Becomes Her and perfectly funny as Julia Child. If anything, I think comedy is one of her strong suits.

Did Kuvira know that Korra was still struggling to recover? Until recently, no one knew much about her current condition, did they? She was deliberately laying low.

Any guesses on how the fight would have went if Korra had been in peak condition? Kuvira's skills were seriously impressive, but Korra wasn't putting much thought or effort into her attacks, making them much easier to evade. In a real fight, I think they'd more or less be on equal footing.

Kuvira seemed awfully confident that Korra wouldn't enter the Avatar State and kick her ass. I know she's arrogant, but surely she had to realize that there was a strong possibility of losing?

Meelo is fine in small doses, but now it's just getting a little obnoxious.

I hope Korra doesn't use the Avatar State to finish Kuvira off when they inevitably fight again. The "bad guy has the upper hand until the Avatar enters the AS and promptly kicks their ass" formula has grown a little stale.

I was a little concerned after Mama Mia, but Meryl Streep looks and sounds fantastic. In fairness, few people came out of that film looking good…