Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Children of the Comet

Our first real episode of seeing the crew of the Enterprise on a mission involves the crew's attempt to divert a comet from hitting an inhabited world in the Persephone system only to discover defenses on the comet and a ship of highly-advanced aliens who worship it and refuse to let anyone alter its divine path. The episode is most notable for giving us Cadet Uhura's (Celia Rose Gooding) first away mission and exploring a bit of her path towards Starfleet. While not certain she's found a permanent home in Starfleet at the beginning of the episode, she's far more comfortable with her choices and role aboard the Enterprise by the episode's conclusion.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D: Night of the Cyclops

Set in the 1960s, the Hellboy one-shot Night of the Cyclops features Hellboy being led to a cursed village in Greece where its inhabitants believe him to be the hero foretold to end their suffering. To do so all Hellboy needs to do is fight a cyclops and stand up to the goddess Aphrodite whose jealousy led to the curse generations ago.

Kung Fu - Bloodline

"Deadline" offers up the unusual set of circumstances where, for however brief a period of time, Nicky (Olivia Liang) and Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman) work together in an attempt to stop an out-of-control Mia (Vanessa Yao). While that fails, Zhilan's attempts to turn Juliette (Annie Q.) against her father are marginally more successful. However, Juliette learns the hard truth about what happens to anyone who stand up to Russell Tan (Kee Chan).

Moon Knight #11

The games between Moon Knight at Zodiac continue as Moon Knight is able to save his psychiatrist Andrea Sterman only to find the madman has doubled back to the Midnight Mission to target another of the hero's friends. With so much on the line and no other options, Moon Knight has only one person he can turn to for help, no matter the cost: Khonshu.

The Hardy Boys - Conflicting Reports

The Second Season of The Hardy Boys continues with Frank (Rohan Campbell) and Joe (Alexander Elliot) continuing to look for answers about the disappearance, and sudden reappearance of one of their classmates. The more they investigate, the more the brothers discover deception pointing to some larger and more sinister going on in the sleepy town. Joe also tries to make sense of his visions and dreams, letting Joe know where the power of the artifact has found a new home. As for the other kids, they are mainly used to keep the grown-ups busy, although "Conflicting Reports" does continue Callie's (Keana Lyn) troubles leading her to look for help in the only place left to her.

Adventureman #9

Teaming up with Crossjaw, the ghost-hunting super cowboy, the bizarre adventures of single-mother turned adventurer Claire Connell continue. In the latest issue, the pair journey into the old abandoned subway tunnels looking for the Ghost Station and answers to the the Ghost Gang's return to New York City.

Obi-Wan Kenobi - Part I

Set a decade after the events of The Revenge of the Sith, the opening episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi picks up with the Jedi in hiding on Tatooine keeping an eye on young Luke, much to the dismay of Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton). Meanwhile, a galaxy away, the other child of Anakin Skywalker is kidnapped in a move designed to flush Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) out of hiding. The villains of the series, brought in from Star Wars Rebels, are the Inquisitors (Force-wielding Jedi hunters). We get the Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend) who sadly has neither the look nor menacing voice of the original cartoon character, the largely superfluous Fifth Brother (Sung Kang) , and the Third Sister (Moses Ingram) whose actions in kidnapping the adopted daughter of Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) are a means to feed her obsession in locating Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Star Trek: Discovery - Kobayashi Maru

Our first look at Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) in the captain's chair offers a pair of risky adventures for the U.S.S. Discovery as well as introducing a new looming threat for the season arc. In the shorter opening segment, diplomacy gets a bit tricky for Michael and Book (David Ajala) with the butterfly people of Alshain IV which Michael solves with a risky proposition that ultimately pans out. Later she'll need to make similar calls when Discovery is sent on a rescue mission from a Federation Space Station spinning out of control after its encounter with some kind of spatial anomaly. Along for the longer mission is the new Federation President (Chelah Horsdal) who tags along to evaluate the ship's captain.

Devil's Reign: Omega

Marvel's event comes to a close with Daredevil alive but Matt Murdock dead to the world as the heroes bury Matt's brother in his place so he and Elektra can begin their newest crusade against the Hand. Good luck with that.

NCIS: Hawai'i - Ohana

The second-half of the NCIS: Hawai'i season finale features the team searching for the person responsible for the dead spies on both sides of the prisoner exchange leading to increasing tensions between the United States and Russia. The episode ends with a bit of a twist, but since there's nothing known about the character beforehand it's a bit of a toothless move that simply used for the sake of having a twist. Along the way another member of the team will be put in momentary danger when he triggers the assassin's bomb, but once again things are quickly solved as the show moves toward stopping the larger target. That said, the finale does deliver (finally) a reconciliation between Lucy (Yasmine Al-Bustami) and Whistler (Tori Anderson) hopefully leading to plenty more of the couple together next season.

Usagi Yojimbo #28

In their wanderings, Miyamoto Usagi and Yukichi come across an art merchant attacked by bandits. Although they are not able to save the merchant, they are able to scare away the attackers and save the merchant's assistant and the cargo they were delivering, not realizing that the assistant is in league with the bandits.

Halo - Contact

I'll be honest, my only real connection with the first-person shooter video game series the new TV-series is based on comes from the popular multi-player mode where I tried my best not to get shot in the back of the head by players who put in far more hours to the game than I ever would. The larger story about super-elite military soldiers versus invading aliens wasn't really applicable to those scenarios. The series takes the basic mythology of the game and expands on it by adding a layer of class divide all too familiar to fans of dystopian science fiction. The opening episode is really only notable for recreating the look of the video game hero along with its high special effects and high body count of the various Covenant aliens Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and the others of Silver Team will put down.

Dirty Dancing set to The Muppet Show Theme

Elektra: Black, White & Blood #4

Elektra: Black, White & Blood #4 offers three more tales of Elektra in the final issue of the four-issue mini-series anthology, all delivered in black, white, and red. In "Powers You Can't Comprehend," my favorite of the three tales, Elektra is hired by the Kingpin to take out a target. What he doesn't tell her is that target is Ghost Rider which turns to be a harder job to finish than Elektra bargained leading to the assassin reworking the contract with Fisk.

Dragons: The Nine Realms - Uniconned

Dragons: The Nine Realms kicks off its Second Season with the discovery of a Bubblehorn dragon which June immediately falls for and breaks a cardinal rule of Dragon Club by taking the little troublemaker back with her. Despite its cuteness, Nibbles turns out to a pain for everyone causing chaos that somehow doesn't alert any of the adults and damage that can't easily be explained. The episode is notable for the introduction of June's less trustworthy older brother Eugene (Vincent Tong) who is suspicious of June's behavior but has not yet stumbled upon the secret of the dragons.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Strange New Worlds

The most interesting aspect of Star Trek: Discovery was the reintroduction of the Christopher Pike-led Starship Enterprise which kept a classic feel of the original design of the ship with an upgrade here or there. Featuring the a version of the crew Gene Roddenberry originally intended, these are the voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the years before James Kirk would take command. Spinning out of the Enterprise crew's experiences in Discovery, the new series picks up sometime after the U.S.S. Discovery's disappearance with Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) still haunted by visions of a future and unsure about whether or not to resume the captain's chair. A refit offers a reason for the ship's sets to get a bit of a makeover taking it a little further from the classic look in some aspects while still retaining the feel of the Enterprise. 

Shadow War Zone #1

Part of the current Shadow War crossover, Shadow War Zone #1 is an overpriced issue will filler back-up stories in an attempt to justify its $6 cover price. They don't. The main storyline involves Black Canary setting out to find Deathstroke but instead running into one of Talia al Ghul's assassins who wants Canary's help in hunting down and killing the mercenary and isn't willing to take no for an answer. There's not too much of interest about the unfortunately named Angel Breaker other than that she gets the upper-hand on Dinah on multiple occasions.

Top Gun: Maverick

From the opening credits, Top Gun: Maverick lays heavy into the nostalgia by recreating the opening of Top Gun. Not much has changed since we last saw Maverick (Tom Cruise), the film is deliberately vague about what year the movie takes place and exactly how much time has passed. Pete Mitchell is still the maverick who flies by the seat of his pants even if that has left him at yet another crossroads of his decorated, but rocky, career.

Cracked's 5 Movies Too Stupid To Notice They Discovered Immortality

The Bob's Burgers Movie

Adapted from the animated TV-show of the same name, The Bob's Burgers Movie is your typical sitcom expanded to a full-length film taking full advantage of the quirky and constantly struggling Belcher family attempting to make their way through a latest disaster. For the film this includes attempts to drum up business to make a mortgage payment while at the same time dealing with a giant sinkhole that appears in front of the restaurant.

Fans of the show will recognize themes including Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) slowly spiraling, Linda's (John Roberts) relentless optimism, and various peculiarities of their children who getting themselves entangled in a mystery after Louise (Kristen Schaal) discovers a skeleton in the sinkhole. The mystery allows the trio to ignore their own separate issues (a boy, a band, and a bully) and attempt to find the murderer and help the family save the restaurant.

The Wheel of Time - The Eye of the World

The anticlimactic finale to the First Season of The Wheel of Time offers action as the city of Fal Dara is defended against the dark legion which descends. However, the true outcome of the battle is not decided there but in the middle of the Blight where Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) makes his stand against the Dark One (Fares Fares) who plays your basic devil's bargain in offering Rand all he could possibly desire to free him. As devil's tricks go, there's nothing all that interesting or elegant here and our first encounter with the Dark One proves far less impressive than that of Logain Ablar (Álvaro Morte) earlier in the season.

The History of The Greatest American Hero

Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies

Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies is exactly what sounds the like. The 2020 documentary takes a look at nudity in film from its humble beginnings to the ups and downs of regulation to current views. Interviews with actors and film historians examine the give-and-take in Hollywood pushing experimentation and mores of the time versus waves of censorship in a constantly evolving view on the subject which changes with the times.

Of course the film is also notable for the several nude clips of the movies discussed from everything from 1915's Inspiration to Caligula and Showgirls. Through both the clips and interviews, the difference between necessary and exploitative nudity is also discussed, as are the differing opinions of actresses looking back on their experiences.

NCIS: Hawai'i - Switchback

The first-half of the First Season's season finale finds Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) drafted into helping the returning Captain Milius (Enver Gjokaj) in a prison transfer that is jeopardized by the death of a Naval security officer in Hawaii. Even with the help of the others who stay behind to investigate, and capture the two mercenaries hired for the kill, NCIS remains largely in the dark as to who is going to such lengths to see a Russian spy returned in exchange for an American who supposedly knows very little worthy of keeping him other than as a bargaining chip.

Immortal Red Sonja #2

Set after the time of King Arthur, in the ashes of the land following the fall of Camelot, Immortal Red Sonja continues with Sonja wandering the landscape in search of Merlyn while having to deal with narration and dialogue from her cursed chain mail. After losing her sword in besting a centaur in combat, Sonja comes to a lake and gets a new sword from the Lady of the Lake (but doesn't pay enough attention to the fine print in their agreement which she quickly struggles to live up to).

The Hardy Boys - A Disappearance

The Hardy Boys returns for a Second Season with some leftover questions about the mysterious artifact from the show's First Season, now in possession of a different evil businessman, and the disappearance of one of Frank (Rohan Campbell) and Joe's (Alexander Elliot) classmates that gets the extremely bored younger Hardy back on the case of solving a mystery, despite the fact that no one is all that keen on him look into things (including his brother). The tension between the boys is dealt with fairly quickly, but it does cause Joe to go off with Biff (Riley O’Donnell) and Phil (Cristian Perri), putting them in danger before being rescued by Frank and ultimately leading to finding the missing Dennis (Leonidas Castrounis).

G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #292

Dr. Mindbender and the two characters who carry on the legacy of Snake Eyes are highlighted in G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #292. As the completion of the Cobra Casino gets closer, Mindbender turns his attention back to his private experiments including making Cobra their own version of Snake Eyes and rectifying an old mistake by creating a more effective version of Serpentor using new DNA found of some of history's best tacticians and most powerful warriors. 

Night Sky - To the Stars

The opening episode of the Amazon series Night Sky introduces us to Irene (Sissy Spacek) and Franklin York (J.K. Simmons), a couple late in life who, many years ago, discovered a strange chamber buried in their backyard which can transport them to an observation station light years away on a deserted planet. Facing the struggles of advanced age, and concern for their well being from both family and doctors, the pair have carefully guarded their secret for decades but now must consider the possibility of leaving the wonders found across the universe behind.

Seven Secrets #17

The series pauses for its penultimate issue, exploring the past of Eva and Caspar on the eve of the resurrection of her son (who is no longer her son), before the next issue's big climax between the two secret organizations over the secrets and the fate of the world. It turns out Caspar is indeed Eva's son, and was born human although the Seventh Secret went into him while still in the hospital and has been waiting for the right time to emerge. No time like the present.

Niconico Chokaigi 2022 Cosplay Video

Kung Fu - The Enclave

Knowing that Russell Tan (Kee Chan) is after a large mallet as the next piece of his plan, Nicky (Olivia Liang) and her friends hatch a plan to (rather easily) sneak into the secret organization's private party and swap out the real hammer for a facsimile that her parents help build. Things go fairly well until the scene Tan causes stealing the fake hammer revealing Nicky and leading to a downward spiral in which Tan leaves with his prize, Nicky's brother gets shot, and Mia (Vanessa Yao) turns to Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman) for a more permanent solution to her Tan problems.

Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers

More than once while watching Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers I wondered to myself who this movie is for? The short-lived TV-series which ran from 1989-1990 gets a reboot of sorts here in a bizarre set up which mergers two-dimensional animated characters, three-dimensional CGI characters, and real actors. It's kind of like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, in terms of setup and a mystery to be solved, except it never finds a way to blend its various elements into a cohesive whole.

After a bit of backstory explaining the end of the Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers TV-show, the now estranged Dale (Andy Samberg) and Chip (John Mulaney) reunite to find their missing friend Monterey Jack (Eric Bana) who they believe has been sold into bootlegging animation. Because you know what kids these days love? Apparently nostalgia and ham-fisted lectures on the evils of piracy and bootlegging. Who knew?

Firestarter

The rather forgettable 80s horror flick about about a young girl able to start fires with her mind isn't a bad choice for a remake. The 1984 movie's limited budget and special effects certainly could be improved upon. However, nearly 40 years later Hollywood has managed to make an even worse adaptation of the Stephen King novel.

Superman & Lois - Truth and Consequences

Picking up from the cliffhanger of the previous episode, "Truth and Consequences" features the Kents fighting off the evil Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) from the parallel Earth hoping to merge with his doppelganger. The merge is prevented thanks to Jonathan's brother and father, making sure that the moody and powerless version of Jonathan doesn't get any more interesting any time soon. In terms of larger plots, the episode is most notable for Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) rescuing Lana (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and later deciding to share his secret with her, giving her some context to the hidden side of Clark Kent she's never been able to understand. Is this a one-off, or are we going to see Clark make any further admissions (despite what he saw happen on the Bizarro world)?

Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood #1

Moon Knight is the latest character to get a black-and-white anthology mini-series featuring a collection of separate stories in monotone punctuated by splashes of red. The highlight of Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood #1 is "So White. Yet, So Dark" in which an annoyed Moon Knight allows Spider-Man to tag along on some "Egyptian stuff" involving someone attempting to bring Anubis into the world waiting for Spidey's chance to ask for a pretty humorous favor from Mr. Knight.

Naomi - Who Am I?

The finale of Naomi sends the show's title character back to her Earth to deal with the boogeyman Brutus (Ray Porter) whose minions have kidnapped her parents and allies as leverage. With only her high school friends as support, Naomi (Kaci Walfall) manages to free the others and make a stand against against the monster responsible for destroying the world she was born on before returning home to face the reveal of an awful truth that will apparently end not only the season but the series as well (as the show has not been renewed for a second season). Hitting the hero's journey moments over the course of the episode, Naomi ends the episode in far more control of her powers, and a better understanding of what it means to be a hero, than at any point in the series.

G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero - Saturday Morning Adventures #3

Cobra Commander's plan is actually working? He's been able to make off with much of the US gold reserves and retreat to Cobra's base in Guam with still one last wish left him. While the Joes organize for an assault, the closest team is Quick Kick, Snake Eyes, Spirit, and Shipwreck sent in first to find and rescue Duke not realizing Storm Shadow, Firefly, and a legion of Cobra troops are waiting for them.

Black Site

Have you ever watched a movie where your primary reaction is feeling sorry for everyone involved in the project? I know actors need to work to pay their bills, but surely everyone here could have found something more dignified. Perhaps porn or selling autographs at a fifth-rate convention? Really anything would have been better than Black Site.

Batman: Killing Time #3

While there's much to like in Batman: Killing Time #3, I'm not overly fond of the way the story continually jumps around the timeline making it harder to get an overall feel of the story (especially for someone who hasn't read the first two issues of the six-issue mini-series). What it does deliver, in somewhat random order, is an experienced fighter with the unfortunate name of the Help who bests a young Batman in combat after being sent to retrieve something stolen from the hospitalized Penguin.

The Blacklist - The Bear Mask

"The Bear Mask" gives us an acid trip fueled time loop as Aram's (Amir Arison) choice to move forward with some experimental hallucinogenic therapy traps him in a loop where the team is continuously under attack by unknown assailants (who turn out to be led by his darker unconscious). At least he seems to have gotten some inner peace from the stressful situation. Reddington's (James Spader) story take place outside the loop and confirms Mr. Kaplan wasn't in the explosion leaving questions looming as to the identity of the adversary is working against him (could it eventually turn out to be Kaplan, or is that just a smokescreen to hide the truth of someone nearly as close who knows as much about Reddington's operation as his former friend?).

Uncharted

Despite its title, Uncharted takes us on a journey of well-trod treasure hunting involving Nate Drake (Tom Holland) being pulled into a search for the legendary lost treasure of Magellan which he and his brother once fantasized about finding as kids. Teamed up with various untrustworthy and unscrupulous hunters, each after the treasure for their own reasons, Uncharted follows the basic path of the genre with various clues needing to be solved to move the characters to the next step on their journey to the treasure.

Holland brings the same boyish charm from the Spider-Man films, often getting himself in over his head despite knowing more than any of the other hunters (including Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, Antonio Banderas, and various unamed thugs) seeking the treasure. Nate is no Indiana Jones, or even Benjamin Franklin Gates, but Uncharted was more amusing than expected.

The Wheel of Time - The Dark Along the Ways

Setting up the season finale, our cast of would-be Dragons, with the exception of Mat (Barney Harris), follow the exiled Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike) through a waygate to the fortress city of Fal Dara in "The Dark Along the Ways." There the group will earn a short respite while one of the group will admit a truth to themselves with the help of the town's seer (Kae Alexander), and the events for the finale will be set in motion.

Once and Future #25

With Duncan, Bridgette, and Rose having joined Robin Hood and his Merry Men (which turns out to have some advantages to our heroes aside from fodder to throw at the various Arthurs battling over which of them will pull the sword from the stone), our heroes continue to fight the good fight while trying to stay alive. As fans have grown to expect there's a mix of fun and craftiness in Once and Future #25 including how Bridgette gets our trio signed up with Robin Hood (and what she's really after in joining his merry little band).

Wolf Like Me - Episode 6

The First Season of Wolf Like Me concludes with a camping trip for Mary (Isla Fisher), Gary (Josh Gad), and Emma (Ariel Donoghue) a little too close to the next full moon than any reasonable person might tempt fate. Of course, something goes wrong (car trouble) and Emma discovers the secret of her father's girlfriend in the most horrifying way possible. Still finding a way end on an upbeat of understanding and acceptance, the finale suggests the family will face its unusual struggles in the future but can survive them (as longas Mary doesn't eat them both). The show has been renewed for another season, so it looks like there will be time to explore where things go from here.

The Rocketeer: The Great Race #2

The second issue of The Rocketeer: The Great Race introduces us to both of Cliff's main rivals in the race (one of whom he's not aware is also one of the Nazis the Rocketeer recently had a run-in with) before also giving us the first leg of the race in which Cliff's flying gets him to second place but his impulsive nature may land him in deep trouble. And, of course, there's plenty of the regular tension between our hero and Betty.

Legacies - Into the Woods

After getting her butt kicked by a god, Hope (Danielle Rose Russell) spends a little recovery time in Limbo leading to a reunion with Landon (Aria Shahghasemi) whose own path out of Limbo looks to far more complicated than he expected. The calm before the next conflict with the gods is really just an excuse to get these two star-crossed kids back together for a moment before sending them back on their own adventures. Of the various B-stories, the one with immediate consequences involves Ken (Luke Mitchell) striking a partnership with Aurora de Martel (Rebecca Breeds) to kill the tribrid (although, as yet, neither knows how this can be accomplished). It's of note for Ben sharing a bit of his life with her suggesting that in Aurora's twisted mind his choices towards his children did indeed makes sense, or, just perhaps, his offspring aren't the innocent victims they've portrayed themselves to be.

Red Sitha #1

Sitha, the character introduced in the current volume of Red Sonja and adopted by the She-Devil with a Sword, gets her own title. Set a decade after the events in Red Sonja, with no Sonja in sight, Red Sitha a grown into a bounty hunter in her own right with more than a few similarities to Sonja including a knack for taking hard jobs, living and playing too hard, and getting herself into trouble.

Tuesday with Chloe Bennet

Chloe Bennet is an American actress and singer best known for her role as Quake on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Photo by Eric Ray Davidson.

The Flash - Death Falls

"Death Falls" features a big battle between Team Flash and Deathstorm. Team Flash will come out on top, as an enhanced Frost (Danielle Panabaker) proves up to the task to fight off the evil shadow monster that preys on grief and has recently taken on the form of Ronnie Raymond (Robbie Amell). The episode is structure very much like a Halloween episode (odd for Spring, but whatever) with the evil Deathstorm torturing the various heroes to elicit grief in plans of making Frost's doppelganger his bride (do evil cloud monsters need brides?).

Silk #4

After being aged decades by a resurrected Korean witch, Cindy Moon limps home only to discover even her own brother doesn't recognize her. Unable to complete understand what was done to her, let alone find a way to release it, and facing further disappointment after being unable to even stop a mugger leaves our heroine down in the dumps. Oh, and that witch that took her youth? She's returned to the museum to perform some kind of doomsday ritual.

NCIS: Hawai'i - Nightwatch

In terms of larger storylines, "Nightwatch" continues the post-break-up of Lucy (Yasmine Al-Bustami) and Whistler (Tori Anderson) as Whistler being put in danger forces some of Lucy's buried feelings to the surface, but she isn't able to forgive her former lover. I like these two together but the show is falling into a rut. Either put them back together, which would be my choice, or move on (which finally, maybe, but probably not really, seems to be the choice at the end of the episode).

The Endgame - Happily Ever After

The Endgame concludes its ten-episode season with the culmination of Elena Federova's (Morena Baccarin) plan, Owen Turner (Kamal Angelo Bolden) being returned to his wife, and Val (Ryan Michelle Bathe) being beaten by her new friend. Then things take a late swerve in a desperate attempt for the show to earn a second season teasing the possibility of Elena and Val working together to save Elena's daughter who is kidnapped by the true boogeymen of the series. The structure of this season was all about a battle of wits while hiding what Elena was really after. It worked at times, and failed nearly as often, but, despite my love for Baccarin, I don't know that I have the energy for another go-round.

Amazing Spider-Man #1

A new volume of Amazing Spider-Man begins here falling back on classic Spider-Man tropes. Peter Parker's life is a mess. His friends feel ignored, Aunt May is disappointed, the super-hero community wants nothing to do with him, he's without a single job prospect, and MJ is shacking up with some guy and his kids. If it all feels a bit familiar, it's because it is.

Moon Knight - Gods and Monsters

Given the time Moon Knight has taken meandering its way to a final conflict, perhaps it was inevitable that the finale would be rushed. Still, "Gods and Monsters" succeeds in what's needed by returning Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac) and, somewhat surprisingly, Steven Grant back to the land of the living to take on Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) and Ammit (Saba Mubarak). Layla (May Calamawy) gets a power upgrade as well by becoming the (temporary?) avatar of Taweret (Antonia Salib) although the god doesn't show up herself to help Khonshu (F. Murray Abraham), and her help would have been appreciated. While their god isn't done with Marc and Steven, given how much Layla enjoyed being an Egyptian super-hero it's unclear whether or not she could decide to continue on as an avatar.