Agents of SHIELD S01E05 Eye-Spy

Ooh the plot thickens in this high concept, espionage-thriller of an episode. What are our secret agents going up against in this series? Why a secret organisation of evil. Eat your heart out Christopher McQuarrie.

Steven Moffat (or maybe it was Russel T. Davies) once pretentiously put it that writing for Doctor Who was like burning the concept for an entire franchise on forty minutes of television and I think this is the first episode of AoS that achieves, if not the lofty heights of a franchise concept, certainly a mid-budget action flick. I guess episode 2 had the concept 'they go to Peru', and for the life of me I can't remember the third episode given a week's distance, but this one feels all the better for having had a few days to stew in my brain before taking the time to blog about it (this is serious work).

Our concept of the week is a mysterious woman who manages to rob several banks of their diamonds while they are in transit, a supposedly impossible task. How does she do it? With precognition? (No, that's impossible in this world of Gods). Why it's with the artificial eye she has been given by a mysterious, evil organisation. Through the eye, the organisation are able to see everything that she sees and send commands and information to her.

Akela is a former trainee of SHIELD and an ex protégé of Coulson himself. We get some juicy guilt scenes where Phil waxes lyrical over his former propensity for authoritarian mentorship. The connection between Akela and her current counterpart protégé Skye is bashed out and we learn that the difference between them is that Akela didn't work well in a team. Skye 1: Akela 1 missing eye. Here is the central theme of AoS hashed out again in a new context. The moral that working in a team is good. It doesn't have the same emotional and lyrical resonance as a Buffy or a Firefly but I guess I like the consistency. It does get a bit waring, two decades into the era of superhero media to see the genre tackle the 'teamwork is good' moral once again, but I guess no one was aiming for high art.

The episode takes it's concept and runs with it into a couple of really nicely conceived, intertwined set-pieces. As Ward, wearing a pair of glasses which have jacked the eye-feed must complete Akela's mission without revealing that he is not her. He has to avoid looking at mirrors, accomplices or his own body, all while passably navigating the world as a woman so as not to arouse suspicion. Meanwhile, the bumbling duo of Fitz and Simmons must perform their first surgery, removing the explosive eye from Akela's head so as to preserve her life once her lapsed loyalty is no longer a secret. Elizabeth Henstridge again provides the most laughs, the most charm and the most memorable moments of characterisation as the nerdy blabbermouth out of her depth. The body horror and the action with a twist really bolster this episode into something more memorable than the previous episodes. 

Eye-Spy is a confident hour of television which has enough cleverness in there to feel worthwhile. I for one was happy to go along for the ride.

Agents of SHIELD S01E03 The Asset

Through the murky fog of my head’s flagging CPU a running joke in one of my old favourite podcasts (it may have been The Black Dog or The Weekly Planet) came back to me, the moniker Agents of SHED. Clearly the banality of AoS garnered a reputation early on. This ongoing dismissal of the show had a big effect on my perception of it and I do see an awful lot of truth in the evident genericism of Mutant Enemy’s unloved child. But. Its quite fun.

Threat of the Week

Gravitonium and Frank – the world’s foremost expert in… Gravitonium.

Issue of the Week

Skye’s loyalty.

Plot

The episode begins with a truck-jacking. An undercover SHIELD agent is transporting an important asset – Dr Frank – who is kidnapped by mysterious forces.

Meanwhile, on the Bus, Skye turns up late for her secret agent muscle training with Ward. He is now acting as her Supervising Officer and their relationship is developing nicely with contrasts between the two being highlighted throughout the episode. Ward, chastising Skye for her lack of dedication informs her that every agent has a moment when they make the choice to dedicate themselves to the cause. Skye responds that strength and physicality doesn’t come as easily to everyone as it does for Ward and he informs her that his ‘moment’ came as a child when he learned to fight to defend his younger brother from the elder – that nothing comes to him easily. Skye’s own childhood was similarly traumatic, as she was failed by the foster system.

We learn that Frank has not been captured but ‘liberated’ by Quinn – a self-made, super rich, super villain-coded type who has brought Frank to his tax-free villa in Malta to finish his research into Gravitonium out of the reach of international powers including SHIELD.

Fitz and Simmons have a personal investment in liberating Frank from Quinn’s clutches as he served as a mentor to them during training. Sympathetic to their loyalty, Skye utilises an invitation to a party in Quinn’s villa through her Rising Tide connections and hacking capabilities. Doing her best Bond impression, Skye infiltrates the compound in plain sight with a plan to shut down a surrounding force field to allow Ward and Coulson to enter and liberate Dr Frank.

Skye ingratiates herself quickly with Quinn who suggests he is interested in hiring her because of her hacking abilities. She manages to get herself into Quinn’s private office by truthfully revealing to her that SHIELD is listening into their conversation. Despite flirting with the audience and the team’s expectations Skye doesn’t leave the governmental organisation SHIELD for the private and libertarian interests of Quinn, comparing the supposed authoritarianism of SHIELD to the authoritarianism of a loving and protecting Big Brother, like Ward.

Meanwhile, Dr Frank reveals that he planned to be captured all along so he could complete his Gravitonium research. He offers a garbled rendition of the trolley problem in order to justify the deadly dangers of the research, but Coulson isn’t buying it and kills Frank to stop his experiment from exploding.

At the end of the episode Skye has been shaken by the danger of her experiences in the compound and commits to her muscle training with Ward, she has had her ‘moment’. Mae approaches Coulson to state that she is ready to enter the field again, if nothing else, to keep Coulson safe.

Gravitonium

Beyond Skye and Ward’s characterisations and relationship being coloured in, there’s not a huge amount going on here. The Bondian aesthetics are quite fun for a television budget, and the gravity shifting around in the episode’s final act did add some fun to proceedings but there’s nothing much of depth.

I enjoyed the opening scene which introduces us to a dirty and overweight trucker rambling on the phone about a prior meeting he’d had in which the other parties lacked personal hygiene and manners. The quick bait and switch in our perceptions of him, resulting in the revelation that he is an Agent of SHIELD, was a nice little writing flex. Unfortunately, this smart-arsery doesn’t extend to the rest of the script with villains, MacGuffin and central themes of the episode all lazily wafting around each other as opposed to ever really binding together in a cohesive braid.

It felt odd that Fitz and Simmons were written to be the characters with a personal investment in the safety of Dr Frank but they are again kept on the sidelines of the action with Coulson relaying the emotional connection via earpiece – a cybernetic IM system for the secret agents’ secret world. Gotta keep him relevant, he’s top billed you know. I suppose FS need a place to start as characters, keeping them on the bench so their first centric episodes will be more satisfying by contrast, but I like them, and I want them more involved.

Skye and Ward’s back and forth remains fun. Through their relationship I’m enjoying learning more about them and understanding their dynamic. Skye’s backstory here reveals the desire she has to belong to a family which informs her sympathies for people-centred movements, and her failure by the hands of the foster system explain her initial distrust of governmental organisations. Ward on the other hand is far more of an authoritarian, believing that the right person, holding all of the power can make the best calls for the most people. Hope no one from HYDRA has his number. Through these two, I think the meatiest thematic threads are revealing themselves.

Skye’s ‘temptation’ by Quinn, the consummate libertarian, springs from their agreed perception of freedom of information but Skye, somewhere along the way has been won over by the familial unit of SHIELD special forces and by the end of the episode she’s advocating for a more compassionate form of authoritarianism – illustrated by her willingness to practice self defence while enacting pacifism.

The gravity shoogling about is just window dressing. Guess the writers saw Inception.

Final Thoughts

Agents of SHIELD is still rather paint-by-numbers but it’s’ got a bit more going on than I appreciated the first time. For an episode three of a new series, it’s really not bad. At this point the characters are still being established, we’re still in act one and the really juicy stuff about serialised storytelling; the subversions, the changing loyalties, the character centric episodes, won’t be coming until later. I’m just taking it on faith they will.

Agents of SHIELD S01E02 0-8-4

 

Agents of SHIELD - and subsequent blogging - a hobby I can commit to, or a brief fixation which will burn out under the stress of day to day life, and the crushing weight of indifference? I can't say yet, as I watched 0-8-4 immediately after the Pilot and so I was very much under the influence of the enthusiasm I had starting the project when I watched it. I've had a sleep, I've taken my notes, I'm procrastinating from university work. Lets see what I can remember.

Threat of the Week

A lump of metal lodged in a pyramid.

Issue of the Week

The value of teamwork.

Plot

After a brief shot in which the side of the SHIELD aeroplane (the Bus) gets blown off, we cut to nineteen hours earlier.

Its Skye's 'first day of school' Mae and Ward register their doubts as to her reliability, Ward because of her political affiliations and Mae because, alongside FitzSimmons, she is not combat ready. On the other hand, Simmons greets Skye warmly and Fitz burbles neurodivergently at her in a non-confrontational manner.

The bus takes them to Peru where, inside a pyramid, an artefact has been discovered. FitzSimmons investigate the artefact - designated 0-8-4 - while Mae and Ward fend off militaristic attackers outside. Coulson soon recognises the military leader, Reyes who is implied to be a former partner in arms, as well as luuuuuv for Coulson. The ceasefire comes to a quick end when the groups are attacked by a second group of Peruvian militants - this time the local rebels who don't like the government's mining policies. Forced to flee, the group, alongside Reyes and some of her soldiers, make it back to the Bus, artefact in hand.

Fitz is unhappy that the artefact has been handled so recklessly as it is emitting dangerous levels of Gamma radiation (see The Incredible Hulk) but Ward and Skye find the time to talk over their differences. Skye tells Ward she is inspired by the insurgents in Peru because while working together they are more likely to find a resolution to their problems. Ward counters, saying that they are causing needless violence and death, postulating that his worldview involves himself identifying threats before they happen and taking them out alone.

Coulson's ex tries to seduce him but he immediately works out that this is a distraction as the Peruvian government want the 0-8-4 for themselves, making moves to neutralise the SHIELD team, starting with Mae. 

The team are tied up but alive, Coulson enjoying some one-on-one time at Reyes' feet who needs him to verbally confirm the Bus's change of course back into Peruvian airspace. Meanwhile the team work together to come up with a plan to retake the bus, which involves blowing out the side of the plane. Ward points out that this correlates with Skye's philosophy. The team are successful, with Skye at the last minute risking her life to plug up the hole in the plane with an inflatable life raft, working on her own like Ward.

Coulson points out to Reyes that although his team is young and inexperienced, she brought them together by giving them a common enemy to face. We close on a scene of the Agents enjoying a beer while watching the artefact getting launched into space, beyond the reach of any government. Skye secretly confirms her devotion to the political group Rising Tide.

It's an Episode 2

In my memory this was the episode with Asgardian character Lady Sif and so I realised that I had forgotten about it in its entirety. 

I'll cut myself some slack here and say it's not the most memorable. After finding the issue of the week, the downtrodden and struggling Mike, to be the most interesting thing about the first episode, this week I was surprised to see that the 0-8-4 had almost no effect on the plot beyond simply serving up its MacGuffiney realness and then fucking off into space.

Besides this, the thrust of the episode is redefining Skye and Ward's contrasting views ( very much hinting at an opposites attract story down the line) and beginning to define Mae and FitzSimmons. It's somewhat effective. Mae is designed to be enigmatic and therefore we're not exactly besties with her by the end, but the introduction of her nickname 'The Cavalry' in SHIELD circles, and her aversion to active combat, hints at a damaged badass who is haunted by the actions of her past. It's tropey but it's also an episode of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD and so I think it's enough for now. She's Mommy of the group as Coulson fills the role of her work spouse. The younger cast, obviously are the squabbling kids.

And two of those 'kids' Fitz and Simmons get a lot of time to shine in this episode. The one advantage of the non-presence of the 0-8-4 in the story is the space it gives the writers to provide the actors some charming goofery to play with. I'm particularly enjoying Simmons during this watch, I feel that, even if she doesn't get the best lines, Elizabeth Henstridge makes them so. From her declaration that she doesn't know everything because she's not 'Hermione' to her offering to 'open a window' because Fitz thinks the 0-8-4 might overheat, she brings a compulsive drive to the character's babble which isn't irritating (as sometimes Fitz veers upon being) and warms me to her immensely.

Overall it's an episode 2 of a supernatural team show. The characters' mission statements have been drawn out. I think they're well defined. The action is rather good, with a moment of synchronised combat featuring Coulson and Reyes showing us their historical connection being a highlight for me. It's a somewhat paint-by-numbers development of a mismatched team but I've certainly come away from the experience more invested in them and so job done?

Final Thoughts

It's an unexceptional story with some budget pumped into the action to make the viewer feel like they're being treated good. That said, it's foundational building work which needs to be done in order for the more interesting character stuff to happen down the line. I'm quite enjoying my little Marvel show. The team members all feel like outsiders (even if Ward's outsider status is a self-anointed position above everyone else) but together they know how to open a life raft and read an instruction manual. Good for you my guys. See you in 3.

Oh, and Nick Fury turns up at the end. 

Agents of SHIELD S01E01 Pilot

 Maybe it's the slow demise of the Marvel project which was going so strong for well over a decade; or maybe it's my current hyper-fixation with the work of one certified nasty-boy Joss Whedon which gave me the drive to revisit Agents of SHIELD. 

The erstwhile black sheep of the Marvel slate, ABC's Agents of SHIELD started with a bang interweaving through tentpole releases but very quickly dropped off my radar. Like many other people my age the 22 episode series television model felt far less alluring when box sets and big screen releases were on offer. I'd also just left home when Agents of SHIELD started and was studying for an English degree so the pull of the student lifestyle and my own abysmal concentration just made keeping up with Coulson and his team a little unmanageable. 

My memories of the show aren't great. I found the main cast a little one-note during the first season. The first episode opened strong, focussing on a downtrodden young father struggling with powers but the character turned out to be a one-off and the Whedon B-team failed to really capture the magic of Buffy, Firefly or even Angel in their issue of the week, plus overarching narrative. I never made it far into season 2 so I was always quite bemused to see, first that the show was still going, and later that it had made it to seven seasons - a huge amount of content that many iconic television shows fail to reach. 

So it's curiosity and desire to enjoy some old school genre television (in a contemporary bingeable format) which is driving me today to revisit Agents of SHIELD. I also want to brush off the keyboard and give myself a little writing project. Don't worry if you never read this, I'm sure I won't either.

Threat of the Week

Mike and the Extremis drug.

Issue of the Week

The place and value of ordinary people in a world of superheroes.

Plot

I could take notes while watching, maybe I will in future but it didn't occur to me to journal this experience until the 20 minute mark so lets see what I can remember.

City centre (New York?) Mike, a young man spends time with his son looking at super hero action figures which he can't afford when an explosion rocks the street. Mike conceals his identity and, revealing to the audience that he has super powers climbs a wall, enters the building and saves a woman with red hair. A young woman - Skye - films Mike.

Meanwhile Agent Grant Ward, a chisel-faced no-nonsense type, determined that everyone know he is a lone wolf is conscripted into a special SHIELD taskforce by Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders, Marvel's cameo girl) which is run by a mysteriously not-dead Agent Coulson last seen impaled on Loki's staff in the previous year's Avenger's Assemble. The team consists of a no-nonsense Ming-Na Wen (character's name not remembered), and FitzSimmons (that's Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons) - the nerdy English/ Scottish science buffs played by the delightfully hunky Ian De Caestecker, hunching over and wearing a hoody to show he is, in fact, a nerd. And the stunningly glamorous Elizabeth Henstridge who is, in fact wearing glasses.

Skye tracks down Mike, warning him that the government (SHIELD) will be coming for him before broadcasting on a secret frequency that her political insurgency group will be coming for SHIELD, their plutocratic control of The Truth soon to be coming to an end. Coulson and Ward arrest her immediately. 

A nice, if bizarre, scene follows which begins as a supposed interrogation of Skye but when Coulson gets out his trusty truth serum it's Ward who gets injected. Following her interrogation of the sultry agent Skye has warmed to Coulson and she becomes more collaborative in their search for Mike. 

Mike meanwhile is revealed to have gained his powers through the application of an intravenous dose of the Extremis formula (see Iron Man 3). The side effects are made apparent when he tries to get his old job at a factory back but loses his temper in the face of unfair bureaucracy and causes some physical and property damage. Mike is spiralling, wanting only to secure a future for himself and his son but the Extremis is affecting his mind and is likely to cause him to explode, which no-one wants. 

The Agents catch up with Mike after a chase through the New York (?) train station and streets. Mike decries the failure of the American dream, made all to apparent by the rise of superheroes in the world. Coulson agrees with him when Mike is shot with an anaesthetic and collapses, unexploded on the ground. 

Coulson and Skye bring Mike's son to a happy family on a farm before soaring off in a flying car into episode 2, fully established as team mates.

Whedonisms

The pilot is a sometimes breezy and very quickfire episode of television which establishes a lot in a short space of time. Whedon's trademark team taking on supernatural forces does feel like familiar ground for him and it somewhat comes across a project which he produced with limited passion. 

His archetypes are all here, if reimagined. Coulson's traits are like someone took the doddering father figure tropes of Giles and shoogled them about with some leadership traits in Mal from Firefly. He's very much the big cheese of the group but his love for his sports (flying) car and his charming Dad-jokes were really enjoyable. Clark Gregg balances well the light hearted banter with just a hint of hidden trauma which paints in some dimension to the Coulson of the films who I never really registered. 

I remembered finding Skye somewhat irritating ten years ago. She's precocious, wears tight clothing and kicks men in the balls - she's a Joss Whedon heroine through and through which can sometimes read as a fetishistic take on femininity as opposed to an authentic person but Chloe Bennet makes the material work. She's got the charisma to make the part her own and she injects some well needed life into the team.

Grant Ward is being sold to us as a Riley Finn, with a smattering of Angel. He's a professional but he works alone scowly face. I think the episode does well to undercut him as much as possible. I know he has some secrets to come out later in the season but the truth-serum scene allows us to take a glimpse under the mask and it adds, if not a third certainly a second dimension to the character. I like that the episode is framed around his introduction to SHIELD, it's a nice device which suggests he's going to be our protagonist even though it's Skye who is the real focus. And for that matter, the real character.

Ming Na Wen is awesome. I guess Gina Torres walked so Ming Na could kick men in the balls, but I love Zoe from Firefly this episode just isn't Ming Na's time to shine. 

FitzSimmons will become my favourites, but in this episode they're just making up the numbers.

J. August Richards, a veteran of Angel plays Mike. He's fantastic. The character is immediately likeable, his political message is strong, it inspires empathy and it ties in (sort of) well to the way that ordinary people would be feeling in this world. In fact it's such a strong concept that it informs the plot for the best MCU Spiderman film Homecoming a few years later. It's just a damn shame that the most interesting character in this episode is only a recurring one rather than a bigger focus of the series.

The fact that the series isn't focussed on Mike, or characters like him really gets to the core of my initial problem with the series. There's a real charm in Whedon projects to seeing the underdogs struggle against the forces of society in order to do good. It's evident in Buffy as the gang meet in the school library, struggling with bullies and hormones just as much as they are against demons. It's there in Firefly and Angel as downtrodden protagonists with histories and struggles navigate their ways through hostile environments with just the support of their friends and their wits to get by. SHIELD is not that; as Skye rightly points out, they are the power, they are the government and therefore they are just not as compelling as your average Mike making impossible choices just to get by. That said, there's a fair mission statement in Mike's monologue about the lies he's been told - that hard work and doing the right thing will pay off when, in fact, in this world some people are just more privilaged (read superpowered). It speaks to Whedon's instincts as a storyteller that Coulson agrees with him - Coulson is the sidekick, the bit character, the Xander among Scoobies. He knows what it's like to be normal. But then again he also has a flying car.

Final Thoughts

So is it worth continuing? We're not going to get a powerful metaphor here about navigating your teenage years, or about struggling with addiction and consolidating your being with the sins of your past. Are we? What's the thesis statement of Agents of SHIELD and will it be realised and developed once Big Whedon releases the reigns? I hope so - there's that spark of potential there. SHIELD are not Gods, they're made up of flawed and idiosyncratic people, cleaning up the mess and trying to do the right thing. If the series remembers the humanity amongst the corporate forces of both SHIELD and Marvel studios it'll probably make for an enjoyable if sometimes pedestrian offering of genre television. Will that be enough to pull me through seven series? I hope so. 

Proxima (2020)

The latest film from writer-director Alice Winocour tells the story of Sarah, a French astronaut selected to spend a year on the International Space Station. At the height of her career, she is repeatedly faced with difficult choices in attempting to fulfill her roles as both a mother and an astronaut who is devoted to her own dreams of walking amongst the stars.
Winocour takes both mother and daughter on parallel journeys - in early scenes each gaze through glass walls at groups of males in their element, helplessly separated. As Sarah undergoes the arduous training process, readying her body for space, so too must her daughter Stella struggle with learning disabilities and low self-esteem to grapple with her schooling and social life. While the relationship between mother and daughter is at the forefront of marketing materials and provides focus for the screenplay, Winocour’s dedication to developing each of these characters individually into both believable and aspirational people is the finest element of her film. Their natural hurdles in achieving their goals establish two grounded and human characters who compel the viewer to empathise with challenges that are both a part of and far beyond those of their day-to-day lives.
Winocour states that she didn’t draw much inspiration from recent American films set in space because of their tendency to portray astronauts as super-human, she was instead artistically inspired by Tarkovsky’s character-driven Solaris. She has, however, created a film which fits will into a tradition of Hollywood pictures – from Cuaron’s Gravity and Nolan’s Interstellar, to Chazelle’s First Man and even the recent Brad Pitt vehicle Ad Astra – which all showcase fractured relationships between parents and children before an unearthly backdrop. Even Ridley Scott’s classic sci-fi chiller Alien deals with anxieties about motherhood and the death of a symbolic family. What Winocour has to offer the genre is a fundamentally female perspective. The space genre has long been dominated by male voices, Sandra Bullock’s Ryan Stone in Gravity speaks the words of a male writing team and even Sigorney Weaver’s iconic Ellen Ripley was purposefully written in such a way that she could have been played by either a male or female actor. Winocour accentuates the female-specific challenges of space-travel, explaining in an interview that spacesuits are designed for male bodies, with the weight being distributed upon the shoulders while women possess naturally stronger hips. Her film achieves nuance by foregrounding the moments in which Sarah cannot keep up with the rigorous training, despite her determination. A lesser writer (or a male one writing woman, see Paul Feig) would probably have crafted a very uplifting but ultimately insincere story about a female astronaut who excels at everything – where girl power is the most powerful force in the universe – but Winocour doesn’t shy away from the practicalities of biology and in doing so imbues the girl power with realism.
Such realism extends to every shot in the film which frequently evoke the hand-held, verité style. From the preproduction stages, Winocour consulted closely with the European Space Agency, interviewing astronauts and scientists. A “documentary aspect” informs the film, as each stage of Sarah’s training process corresponds with the real-life process, and even the filming locations used being those of the authentic workplaces of space orginisations. Winocour compares the relationship between astrophysicists and astronauts to that of the cast and crew of a film – two groups of utterly dissimilar people working together for a common goal - and this is perhaps why the film will appeal to a far wider audience than just science fanatics. It’s often said that filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Alfred Hitchcock made films which metaphorically expressed their own relationships to filmmaking and cinema itself, the characters are co-workers, their characters’ struggles their own. Winocour’s own humanity is what brings Sarah to life, her own daughter was eight years old at the start of production. Sarah’s struggles may look like an astronaut’s but they are also a woman’s. She is constantly conflicted between her personal ambitions and her obligations to her child in the same way that any person dedicated to both career and family must be.
This is a strong film, building on cinematic history (perhaps unknowingly) with the raw materials of a real life. Proxima stays just on the right side of realism to fend off the threat of becoming overly sentimental but never does so at the expense of character or truth.

Documentary Filmmaking: Redux Community Season 3 Episode 8 (2011)

Community was a pivotal television show for the six years it was broadcast. The project which brought together Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty), Megan Ganz (Always Sunny in Philadelphia), The Russo Brothers (Captain America and Avengers franchises), Chris McKenna (Jumanji Sequels), Jim Rash (The Descendants) and Donald Glover (Childish Gambino, Atlanta) was mired in controversy and production complications for six years but still managed to push the boundaries of what television could be with layers of wit, high concepts and a postmodern sensibility which will delight film fans. Set in a Community college, the series follows the antics of disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger and his study group as he learns humanity and comes to find a family amongst the oddballs and misfits of Greendale Community College. This episode is a perfect standalone which follows the Dean of the college as he attempts to produce a television advert for the school. Upon discovering that ex-student Luis Guzman is willing to feature, the Dean descends into auteur’s madness following in the footsteps of Francis Ford Coppola as he struggled against the shoot from hell for Apocalypse Now. In the style of the making of documentary Hearts of Darkness, the Dean is followed around by filmmaking student Abed who charts his descent. A truly brilliant episode which could stand alone as a hilarious short film. As of April the 1st 2020, all of Community is available to stream in Britain on @netflixuk and @primevideouk . S.H.

X-Men: The Animated Series (1992 - 1997)

An undisputed cult classic, the 1990’s adaptation of the X-Men hits glorious highs being able to both achieve a narrative complexity impossible to the studio-produced blockbusters and a cohesion which was absent from the ongoing, multi-authoured story-telling style of the comic books. Coming from a time when writers were able to create challenging and creative content in children’s animated television which was impossible in its more financially restrictive live-action counterparts, the X-Men animated series stands out as a shining example of its genre.

Tomorrowland (2015)

You probably didn’t see Tomorrowland in theatres. Don’t worry, I’m the only one that did. Director Brad Bird sent me a personal card to thank me for my business. But I genuinely don’t believe this film deserved to fail! Tomorrowland is reportedly the project that Bird turned down Star Wars: The Force Awakens to direct and his passion and optimism shines through every frame. A rather meta-text Tomorrowland offers a throwback to the optimistic science fiction futures of the past, arguing that believing the worst will happen will be the downfall of humanity. Rise up! Our plucky, young, female post-Katniss, pre-Rey protagonist does! And there’s magic badges??? This film is wild.

Tangled (2011)

Love in the time of Covid – I think we will all feel a renewed sense of empathy for Rapunzel as she sings around her social-distanced tower, listing all the things she does in a day to pass the time. Tangled is the go-to for lazy journalists complaining about Frozen’s success – “but Tangled is much better…” and they’re not wrong. A Shrek-sperian rejigging of the fairy-tale formula, Tangled infuses anarchic wit, physical comedy and surprisingly intricate plotting with a set of Disney-renaissance inspired song-numbers from Alan Menkin including the ludicrously funny I Have a Dream.

Waking Sleeping Beauty (2011)

Among a batch of fascinating (if sycophantic) documentaries recounting the behind-the-scenes development of the Disney animation studio (see Frank and Ollie and The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story) comes this 90 minute summary of the most fascinating few decades of private enterprise which shaped the face of popular culture. Following the death of Walt Disney this film recounts the fall and rise of the studio as it passed into outsider hands, with deaths, power-struggles and politics this story is fascinating enough to fill a book (Disney War.) This film also makes a compelling prequel to the slightly more lauded The Pixar Story.

Newsies (1992)

In spite of an initial negative reception, Newsies gained a passionate following upon its home release. Newsies is 90’s Disney’s answer to the likes of Oliver!, to Mary Poppins, to West Side Story with spacious sets and huge, choreographed set pieces. It follows in grand Broadway tradition by focussing on a story of social revolution, like Les Mis and Hamilton before, but stays true to its subject matter, the young newspaper-sellers of New York, by keeping all of the dancing and singing distinctly unpolished and gritty. Starring a fresh-faced Christian Bale, the film is the directorial debut of choreographer Kenny Ortega who would go on to direct other musical hits such as the High School Musical trilogy. The care taken by Ortega to showcase the physical talents of its cast makes it stand out from other contemporary musicals who appear to go out of their way to conceal their natural talents from the audience through ADHD editing and C(ats)GI. The film also features songs by an Alan Menkin during his prime Disney years, written right after Beauty and the Beast.

Moaning Lisa (1990)

30 series of the Simpsons are available to stream on Disney+ but don’t let that put you off. If you need reminding of the show’s immense power look no further than this first series episode which showcases the Simpson’s elder daughter Lisa. The reason this episode stands out is not because of the jokes but because of the drama. The episode wistfully captures the emotional turmoil of the big fish in the small pond, the tragedy of possessing a high emotional intelligence and being surrounded by small minds. We can’t get over the moving moment when Marge and her daughter as they reconcile at the denouement of the episode. Also, the music is really good.

Gravity Falls (2012 - 2016)

As good as long-form episodic science-fiction storytelling gets. Rather like a junior version of Rick and Morty, the show hilariously explores high concept fantasy in twenty-minute, bite-sized portions all told with a distinct, manic glee and an unquenchable optimism. The show is even produced by Alex Hirsh, a close friend of R&M co-creator Justin Roiland. Gravity Falls has an edge in that it links its adventures into a complex overarching plot, the series ended at the creators’ behest despite the studio’s requests for more episodes. It also stands as a very touching testament to the value of close brother-sister bonds with the main characters being inspired by Hirsh and his relationship with his own twin sister.

Cosmetics - The World According to Jeff Goldblum (2020)

If you’ve ever lost a few hours to the YouTube rabbit hole which is Jeff Goldblum doing interviews - with puppies, with Taika Waititi, with a wide-eyed veneer of faux-ignorance - as I have, then the news that Goldblum was going to be spearheading the National Geographic’s flagship Disney+ documentary series must have been an enticing one. Goldblum is entertaining no one more than himself in his old age which makes this investigative series a rather binge-able watch. In Cosmetics, Jeff grapples with his own vanity and explores the effects of makeup on performance, self-esteem and modern art all with an offbeat peculiarity which sets his series apart from the rest.

Free Solo (2018)

Significant not only for its Academy Award win but also for its nail-bitingly complex and daring production process, Free Solo did the rounds on the festival circuit picking up accolades along the way. To appreciate the full breadth of the tension here you might want to stream this one on the smart-tv as opposed to the smart-phone.

Freaky Friday (2003)

Following on from her criminally under recognised double-performance as rambunctious twins Hallie Parker and Annie James in the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap Lindsay Lohan turned her skills to another remake of a Disney classic, Freaky Friday. The body-swap is a mainstay of high-concept family comedies, but Freaky Friday does it best finding endless inspiration in the premise. The standout in an impeccable ensemble is Jamie Lee Curtis playing a reckless teenage girl, trapped in the body of her high-maintenance, therapist mother. (I hope one of Disney’s content warnings for racial insensitivity is included for the absurd Chinese-American characters. At least they’re not played by Mickey Rooney.)

Float (2020)

Pixar continue to innovate and entertain with their short films. Float is the latest in a series of Disney+ exclusives under the Sparkshorts banner, which are being used as a tool for the studio to diversify their upper management and develop new technological capabilities to enhance their features. Following on from the Oscar win of Bao which saw Domee Shi promoted as director of her own feature film project in 2019, Float was released to coincide with the UK launch of the Disney+ service. It features a Hispanic father trying to raise a young son on his own, his struggles are amplified by the boy’s ability to fly. Like the best Pixar films, it contains messages for adults and children alike while remaining entertaining to all.

The Clone Wars (2008 - )

If you’ve ever watched the Star Wars prequels and wondered why anyone trusted or even liked that whiny Anakin in the first place, the answer can be found in the Clone Wars saga. Frequently directed by The Mandalorian’s own Dave Filoni the series goes some way to realising the potential of all the innovative design work that went into George Lucas’ much maligned trilogy. Famously slow to start, The Clone Wars developed as it went along and upon its cancellation had accrued a vast and loyal fanbase. Now, as Disney+ original content Series 7 continues the saga.

Black Panther (2018)

Nationalism in the time of Corona… Black Panther was self-isolating before it was cool. Following hot on the heels of Taika Waititi’s Thor Ragnarok, Black Panther was the culmination of Kevin Feige’s creator-centric (with a heavy producer influence) production style. Following on from his work on Fruitvale Station and Creed, director Ryan Coogler shows his impeccable skills for crafting tension in scenes which could stand as their own short films, and exploring complex issues relating to race relations in a mainstream blockbuster. Black Panther also stands as a success for diversity, not only bringing together some of the best African Diasporic actors working today but also featuring a diverse array of strong female leads whose strengths do not just derive from being able to shoot a bow and arrow effectively.

Star Wars The Last Jedi (2017)

Influences and Pacifism?

A postmodern, introspective Star Wars aimed at all those cool kids who think that Game of Thrones is the best show ever because it kills off the main characters. There's a twist, however, instead of subverting narrative expectations in the first act before going on to tell the same tired hero's coming of age tale for five seasons, and selling your show on the new ways you've found to represent mutilation on the small screen, The Last Jedi offers more questions than answers and dissects a popular art-form which equates heroism to an unquestioned reliance on violence as well as the utility of heroes in the first place.

Rian Johnson structures his take on the Galaxy Far Far Away around a Fury Road-style chase through space. As the tension rises the brutality of the antagonists stirs conflict among the heroes, drawing lines and disintegrating the substance of the Resistance, as opposed to Fury Road's far more optimistic portrayal of the redemption-through-friendship motif.

From the outset the heroic Rebellion are on the back foot with their numbers dwindling bleakly throughout the film's run-time. Front and centre is Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron whose traditional roguish brand of heroics (see "code for toxic masculinity") is shown to waste lives. His impassivity is offset with a youthful charm which keeps the audience onside but sadly blinds many of its number to the reasonable actions of his main antagonist, Holdo. Poe's arc is the most tonally confused with many seeing Holdo's Nux-esque sacrifice at the end as a commendation of violence, but I think Johnson's pacifism fits more comfortably into this fantasy action movie than people give him credit for. It's all about utilitarianism, if self-sacrifice and a bit of murder can maximise the aggregate lives saved then go for it (says Johnson). But if a peaceful alternative can be found - retreat, espionage, dialogue, turning up at the last minute as a ghost to trigger your nephew's PTSD and allowing your pals escape - then those alternative routes should be taken. Most importantly of all, thoughts of one’s own legacy should not factor into the decision-making process when lives are at risk.

Following J.J.'s adaptation of a big bag of Haribo's, The Force Awakens, Johnson was put in the difficult position of creating a film which had been set up to emulate various aspects of Empire and Return of the Jedi. His decision to take those elements and re-appropriate them into a meta narrative about war and Star Wars itself was a little undergrad Philosophy-minor, but at least they didn't get Colin Trevorrow to direct this one. That's all I'm saying.

(not) Coming of the Frustrated Man-Babies

The Last Jedi is partially, I suspect, an outlet for Rian Johnson's lasting scars from his high school years as an outsider who just couldn't score with babes. On various levels Kylo Ren, Hux and Finn live out the legacy of Luke Skywalker who lived in a Galaxy where the only age-appropriate girl was his own sister.

The continuity for Finn between films is reinforced by nice choices in the performance and script. For a man who spent all of the previous film running from conflict it makes sense that he would take his first opportunity to jump ship and head off to find Rey. I also like Boyega's cocky neck-tilt he does whenever he meets new woman. Finn's reputation as a hero of the resistance is an effective mirror of Luke in this film and I like that Johnson chooses to tell the story of the loner finding purpose in the fight for good. In the previous trilogy this development for Han Solo mostly takes place off screen. At the start of the film, Finn is loyal to himself and Rey. But it's not like that... no it’s not like that. We're just friends and I'm cool with it. The thing is she's actually in my friend-zone too? We're actually just really good friends? Isn't it so funny that everyone always thinks it's like that? It's so crazy. Like imagine if it were like that.... imagine. Just. Imagine.

Oh, Rian. High school was hard for everyone. Give me a call some time. We can play Ratchet and Clank, remake Lord of the Rings in my back garden and pretend that we're not in love with our best friends.

Meanwhile, Hux is clearly working through some issues. He's not finding solace in his Incel 4Chan community and he just can't get over the memory of that time he and Kylo Ren got really drunk and thought it would be funny if they spooned. Hux's oft-simmering, oft-exploding reservoir of emotion is channelled throughout the film into an ever-expanding series of cannons which he likes to shoot at the big resistance ship filled with all those girls who didn't respond to his advances on Tinder. Domhnall Gleeson's performance became the focus of some criticism following the film's release with people suggesting that his overacting was off-putting. Whilst it might seem a bit tired of me to point out that treating fascists with contemptuous parody is a perfectly reasonable response, I'll just say this, the man lives in a universe inhabited by Muppets where a dude's best friend can be a big growly bear thing, where six-armed aliens run 50's diners and where Jar-Jar Binks lives. The performance is pitched perfectly. One of the greatest moments in the film follows Snoke's death, when Kylo lies unconscious on the floor. Hux reaches for his gun. The thing I am most looking forward to in episode 9 is seeing this dynamic play out.

And Kylo. Disney were probably surprised by the audience response to Loki, following Branagh's Shakespearean take on Thor. The appropriation of the male power-fantasy by female audiences and the way it was channelled into countless Tumblr threads and ladies' book groups buying tickets to The Dark World to enjoy Chris Hemsworth's arms resulted in more word-of-mouth marketing and ticket sales than the lacklustre franchise could have otherwise hoped for and so naturally a Loki-figure was required for their new Star Wars franchise. Loki just wouldn't stay dead. With his black hair, pasty complexion and penchant for melodrama, Ren also calls back to Severus Snape and through him a history of Romantic anti-heroes like Heathcliff. He might be violent, an emotionally stunted, privileged brute but he's hurting. You can change him.

Once again, however, the seeds of their antagonist grew into something much more interesting. With Kylo's ancestry and vulnerability, not to mention the fact that he keeps murdering everyone, I'm hardly the first person to recognise his analogous connection to a generation of increasingly frustrated and radicalised young white boys who were promised the world on a silver platter then got pissed off when they realised that hard work might count for more than wishing on a star. Driver's sultry performance and refusal to emote an expression which can't be read in fewer than one hundred different ways make him a captivating screen presence and the complexity of his misplaced rage almost goes some way to redeeming the prequels’ utter failure to convey the same character arc through Anakin. As the series develops, this character's brilliance continues to far outstrip the now relatively-paltry characterisation of Darth Vader. Johnson's continual dissection of the symbols which represent the Star Wars franchise is what make this the best Star Wars film for me.

Rey(lo)

I think absolutely everything that takes place on the Jedi island is wonderful. Shot lavishly, compellingly written, challenging-ly inert, the scenes offer the perfect counterpoint for Luke's Dagobah training. Ideally, we wouldn't have the exact same recluse Master, wide-eyed Apprentice dynamic being played out at all, but Ri-Jo was dealt the hand he was dealt. Aspects of Luke’s representation, particularly the montage of his day-to-day life on the desolate island, display for the audience, as much as Rey, the disappointment which comes from placing too much stock in myths which no living person could embody.

It's a very feminist idea that while the male Jedi found place and purpose and history when he went searching for them, Rey finds only disappointment and confusion in a universe which has long neglected people like her. Her path is to forge her own legacy without the guidance of her progenitors and, really, that is the most interesting story that could be told in a pop-corn blockbuster about laser-swords.

Rey has become the focus of a great deal of backlash, but I see her as one of the most compelling protagonists in this franchise. Yes, like Anakin and Luke before her she is equipped with a specific set of skills such as being a good pilot, being naturally the best at the force, and having a good mind for technology but it’s in her innocence that she's given real depth. In a call-back to her "I didn't know there was this much green in the whole Galaxy" line in Force Awakens, a single shot in which she marvels at the rain falling from the sky indicates her innocence and speaks to a history on a desolate desert planet which now need not be told in a thousand spin-off comics. The neglect she has suffered throughout her young life is crystallised in her desperate attempts to find validation and purpose in a series of men in her life who continually let her down. Yes, Rey is cut from the same cloth as the likes of Katniss Everdeen, Hermione Granger and whichever petite brunette stars in your YA franchise of choice but her presence as a driving force in this new franchise is taking it to a number of interesting places in terms of characterisation and themes.

Quite the most captivating thing about this film is the Force Skype-chat scenes which build upon concepts introduced in the original trilogy but bring them into the modern age and making them more applicable to the current generation of characters. Romance has featured in the Star Wars universe before, but besides an uncomfortably predatory kiss on board The Millennium Falcon sexual tension has remained untouched (or ludicrously mishandled). The conversations between Rey and Ren (its like Ben. But more Rey-ey) constitute a very eloquent solution to a problem. Unlike the original trilogy where Vader’s presence offered an ominous portent for Luke’s future only in the sequels, the Rey/n as dark mirrors of each other motif was introduced in film one. But how to make these characters grow and influence each other without their differing politics resulting in one of their deaths? The answer was, develop the fact that force users can sense each other and use it to introduce a new, visually captivating way of making the characters interact which is unique to the Star Wars mythology. Rey and Ren’s vulnerability, their inability to find affirmation in the past and their evident mutual attraction turn the notion of being tempted by the dark side from an analogy of making the same mistakes as your parents to a raw flirtation with a passion which might ultimately be bad for you. Rey’s temptation is plain to see on screen, she seeks validation and has no one to turn to but the man she calls a monster. The hard work put into representing this relationship on screen makes the (semi) climactic confrontation in Snoke’s throne-room more interesting because, if you were in her shoes, you might just go for a little bit of dark-side. Ultimately, however a shot of Rey closing the door of the Falcon on Ren, and that part of her life shows that, at least for now, she has put that temptation behind her. And they can’t end up together. He’s too far gone, he’s too evil and he doesn’t deserve her. Right? Rey has to be relatable, but she also has to be an example and seeing her enter into a toxic relationship as that one would be inexcusable.

Bad Bits

I think it’s clear I friggin’ love this movie but there’s clearly reason for the backlash, and while it is ambitious and braver than most films of its kind there are parts where the ambition doesn’t quite pull it through. Sure, the Canto Bight stuff is gauche, but that’s not a problem for me, I’ve sat through ewoks, cantinas, Jabba’s palace, 50’s diners and, hate to harp on at him, Jar Jar Binks. That said the Finn subplot is the weakest. Finn’s character arc is strong, but he’s not complimented by the characters around him. The Benicio Del Toro performance is abysmal and, sadly the Rose character is flat as cardboard. She functions in the script as a purveyor of wisdom whose outlook Finn needs to come to emulate but the dynamic isn’t interesting because there’s nothing she needs to learn in return. If Rose was challenged by Finn in the same way that Holdo is by Poe and Luke is by Rey, then the Canto Bight scenes would have more dimension to them. More purpose. If you’re one of those people who thinks they could just have been cut out, no, you’re wrong, the biggest flaw of Force Awakens was the fact that we don’t understand the politics of the situation. Who are the First Order? What do they want? Why, besides the fact that they have a big gun, do they need to be stopped? Well, this subplot offers some answers. They oppress people and prop up unjust systems, right? Well, it’s a start. But Rose doesn’t work. It’s not Kelly Marie-Tran’s fault, she does a fine job with some cringe-inducing lines, it’s the script. Should have done a wee redraft there.

Anyway, time for bed. To conclude, I like the film.