Jurassic World: Chaos Theory - C13v3rGr186

"C13v3rGr186" steps away from the current storyline of the new island to fill in the gap of Brooklyn (Kiersten Kelly) starting with the events that occurred prior to the attack and also what happened to Brooklyn after she was saved by Ronnie (Carmen Moore). Much of this we've seen before, or has been directed alluded to. We see her visit to Kenji's father with the added context of what she was after, the misunderstanding with Darius (Paul-Mikél Williams), and the night she lost her arm. Although considering letting the others know she's alive, Brooklyn ultimately decides to keep it a secret to protect them and play on the advantages of being dead as she goes after the Broker on her own in a storyline which will eventually get away from the writers but starts with just being a very questionable decision.

Red Sonja 2023 #15

Over the years Red Sonja has been several things. As Red Sonja #15 opens she is both revered as Goddess and an imprisoned captive as the war between the living and the dead continues to rage. By the end of the issue Sonja's captivity won't be a problem, thanks in part to her going all stabby-stabby and killing the man who had planned to sacrifice her on an altar to enhance his power, and thanks in part to the arrival of the army of the dead hunting her and adding to its number with every slain warrior who crosses its path.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft - Big Lies, Small Secrets

With no leads to follow Charles Devereaux (Richard Armitage), Lara Croft (Hayley Atwell) heads to Paris to investigate what led him to seek out the stones and more information about The Light. Although we get plenty of action in the catacombs beneath the city, made more exciting by hallucinogenic mist being pumped in by The Light, the episode is most notable for the introduction of Lara's estranged childhood friend Camilla Roth (Zoe Boyle). More than just another friend who Lara pulls into danger (seriously, she's an awful, awful friend), unpacking Camilla and Lara's baggage, including the rather awful way Camilla's father pitted them against each other as children, makes for a large part of the episode but ultimately leaves them better than they've been in years.

Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloween #2

It only took two issues for me to lose whatever interest I had in DC attempting to milk more story out of Batman: The Long Halloween. Issue #2 goes through the motions with the calendar moving from Halloween to Thanksgiving with Batman hitting dead end after dead end in his search for the missing James Gordon. The comic features callbacks both the the first issue, returning Catwoman for some pretty awful flirting and then offering no insight into the case, and to the original series with Calendar Man providing Robin with a clue.

Batman: Caped Crusader - Savage Night

After a short stint in Arkham Asylum for evaluation, the First Season finale features Barbara Gordon (Krystal Joy Brown) attempting to convince Harvey Dent (Diedrich Bader) to work with her but all the fight seems to have gone out of the defeated former District Attorney. Kidnapping Dent during a prisoner exchange, Flass (Gary Anthony Williams) and Bullock (John DiMaggio) plan to kill Harvey, who in the skirmish ends up cuffed to Babs and running for their lives on the Gotham docks.

Only Murders in the Building - Escape From Planet Klongo / My Best Friend's Wedding

The Fourth Season of Only Murders in the Building comes to a close with a trip to the set of Ron Howard's (appearing as himself after a long tease that suggested he might not make an appearance) new film, the reveal of the killer and his motive, and a wedding (along with the tease of a new murder to solve next season). Along with Howard's appearance, which actually confirms one of Oliver's (Martin Short) outlandish stories, the final two episodes fill in the gaps to Sazz's (Jane Lynch) murder providing not only the motive writer turned stuntman turned writer Marshall P. Pope (Jin Ha) but the events which led up her death.

Space Usagi: White Star Rising #1

Rabbit Ronin in spaaaaace! Picking up after the events of Space Usagi: Death and Honor, the following 90s three-issue mini-series continues the space adventures of Miyamoto Usagi's descendent (also confusingly named Miyamoto Usagi) defending the Shirohoshi clan in the far future against the Kajitori. As with Death and Dishonor (also originally published by Mirage), this is the first time White Star Rising has been released in color.

Retro 50s X Men vs Street Fighter

Anora

Anora (Mikey Madison), or Ani as she prefers, is a fiery young stripper at a Manhattan club leading a mostly unremarkable life until the night Russian man-child Vanya (Mark Eidelshtein) walks into the club. Hitting it off, Vanya returns night after night eventually paying for private dates with Ani leading to a weeklong girlfriend experience of booze, drugs, sex, and partying ending in to a trip to Vegas, an unexpected proposal, and marriage. It seems Ani has hit the jackpot a rags to riches story. However, when Ani's family discovers what Vanya has done things get nuts.

Coraline

Returning to theaters for the film's 15th Anniversary, I had much the same reaction to Coraline that I had the first time I saw it in a theater. The dark tale of a young girl (Dakota Fanning) discovering a secret world of "others" who resemble her family and friends but with buttons for eyes is a vivid and creative use of stop-motion. However, the first-half of the film of Coraline exploring the magical world, and comparing her drab reality to it, has always left me a bit cold. For me, the film only picks up when the more sinister elements of the "Other Mother" (Teri Hatcher) are exposed and Coraline goes into survival mode.

NCIS: Origins - All's Not Lost

In the best episode of the show so far, the murder of a deployed soldier's girlfriend and the disappearance of his daughter (Hattie Hoskins) hits close to home for Gibbs (Austin Stowell). While instrumental in helping with the case and knowing how to talk with the girl to get what they need to identify the killer, events also trigger memories for Gibbs about the loss of his wife and daughter which are shown in flashbacks. We see him receive the news of their deaths immediately followed by an attack on the base in which Gibbs moves towards the shelling, rather than taking cover, providing insight to Franks (Kyle Schmid) actions this season concerned with Gibbs' state of mind and whether or not something might trigger those suicidal tendencies again.

Hendo-Art: Custom T-Shirt Designs for Cosplay

Citadel: Diana - Together

The partnership between Diana (Matilda De Angelis) and Edo (Lorenzo Cervasio) continues as she goes after the other Manticore agent. Unable, and also unwilling, to bring him in alive and turn him over to Maticore Italy, the pair arrange for his death to look like a failed assassination attempt on Edo. They are proud of their combined effort, but one person will see through their ruse throwing a spanner into the gambit to push the other Manticore organizations towards war. The moves at the end of the episode by Ettore Zani (Maurizio Lombardi) put Diana in danger and put Edo at the mercy of his father.

Adam Savage - MacReady's Hat & Stark's Helmet

The Irrational - Formal Ties

"Formal Ties" takes Alec (Jesse L. Martin), Marisa (Maahra Hill), and Owen (Arash DeMaxi) to the Italian embassy for the marriage of a the daughter of a political refugee (Nikolai Tsankov) who someone at the heavily-guarded event wants dead. Putting the life of another guest in jeopardy, the killer uses the opportunity to sneak a second assassin on to the premises leaving our trio to work with the embassy security and find both men, without alerting the guests. Getting these three to the embassy and the eventual motive both feel a bit shaky, but the investigation itself works well. 

Green Lantern Dark #1

It begins with the end of the world. The first issue of the seven-issue mini-series introduces us to a world of darkness where monsters prey on the survivors of a post-apocalyptic Earth. Some, like the young Lunette believe that the last remaining hero, the Green Lantern, will save them from the dark. But when the Lantern arrives in town, she's not who Lunette expected believing the power she carries is a curse only lighting the remains of a world already damned.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory - The Marooned Five

The second episode of the season gets the group back on to dry land (which they will later learn is in Senegal). Heading inland the group discovers dinosaurs and a few locals, one of whom will play a major role over the rest of the season. Misjudging the situation, and attempting to help, the group almost gets Zayna (Anaiya Asomugha) and her mother Aminata (Cherise Boothe) killed by not understanding the symbiotic relationship the pair have made with the Stegosaurus who just appeared in their fields one day. By taking care of them, the dinosaurs in turn protect their farm far the far more vicious dangers of the jungle. The pair offer the weary travels some sanctuary, but for answers to their question,  Ben (Sean Giambrone), Kenji (Darren Barnet), Darius (Paul-Mikél Williams), Yaz (Kausar Mohammed), and Sammy (Raini Rodriguez) will have to journey up river.

The Monster Squad

Released to mixed reactions from adults, and bombing at the box office, 1987's The Monster Squad did strike a chord with kids, eventually earning cult classic status on cable and home video. The film's strength is in how real the young protagonists feel, speaking and acting like kids who have discovered that monsters are real. Our main characters are a self-named Monster Squad of preteens (Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, and Ryan Lambert, Brent Chalem, and Ashley Bank who begs her older brother to join the group and eventually earns her spot in the film's climax) who already know a bit about monsters which comes in handy when they start popping up all over town.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft - Living Midnight

"Living Midnight" features others getting the best of Lara Croft (Hayley Atwell) at pretty much every turn. She loses both the ruby box and Jonah (Earl Baylon), gets outplayed again by Charles Devereaux (Richard Armitage) who offers her a bit of backstory, and tracks down the ruby stone only to lose it to Deveraux and Jonah who apparently is now his zombie minion. The highlight of the episode is Lara's theft of the stone, and how bloodthirsty she becomes after it is in her possession, but even after overcoming its influence she still ends up losing the stone to the rival hunter who gets more powerful with each stone he collects. It's another so-so episode for a series that needs Lara getting some more wins and a few more standout moments.

Hack/Slash = Body Bags #1

Hack/Slash (which I've read sparingly over the years) and Body Bags (which I've never read) are brough together in the first issue of this four-issue mini-series. The crossover takes Cassie Hack and Vlad to Terminus, Georgia, in their latest search for a killer. Known for its lawlessness, and a high number of bounty hunters which will no doubt offer new challenges for the duo (especially after someone decides to put out a hit on the pair). Meanwhile, Mack Clownface Delgado enrolls his daughter Panda into a private school for assassins.

The Old Man - XIV & XV

The final two episodes of The Old Man's Second Season shake things up again. Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) attempts to make a deal with Suleyman Pavlovich (Rade Serbedzija) agreeing to take responsibility for the Russian's actions for a cure and cash to disappear. However, when that fails, it falls on Harold (John Lithgow) convincing his ex-wife to step-in and then it falls on Julian (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and Zoe (Amy Brenneman) to finish the job. The season ends with Pavlovich dead and the mine back in control of the locals and Dan and Zoe enjoying a moment of peace which, it turns out will be short-lived.

Hellboy

Based on the comic of the same name, which is even referenced in the film, 2004's Hellboy stars Ron Perlman as the titular hero brought to Earth as a child by Nazis in World War II but raised in the United States by Professor Trevor Bruttenholm (John Hurt) and the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense to "bump back" against what goes bump in the night.

Murder in a Small Town - A Touch of Panic

Marking the first episode of the series not to include a murder, "A Touch of Panic" does offer more obstacles for the burgeoning romance between Karl (Rossif Sutherland) and Cassandra (Kristin Kreuk), but not in the awkwardness between Cassandra and Karl's daughter Holly (Dakota Guppy) but in a much more dangerous face from Karl's past. Devon Sawa guest-stars as a dying man recently released from prison who blames Karl for everything wrong with his life leading him to target the sheriff's loved ones. Subverting expectations, showing us someone following Holly and her friend (Alisha Newton) earlier in the episode, it turns out Cassandra was an easier mark leading to her kidnapping.

Zatanna: Bring Down the House #5

The five-issue mini-series concludes with Zatanna confronting her past and her father and reclaiming her magic. With the help of the Stranger, the pair arrive at Zatanna's childhood home (literally as Zatanna is transformed into a much younger version of herself in the home she grew up in, more or less). The issue also weaves back in the Order of the Rabbits who also come to help out in what the Stranger refers to as a war for the soul of magic.

Doctor Odyssey - Halloween Week

Airing at an appropriate time of year, "Halloween Week" offers a week of Halloween-themed events aboard the latest cruise along with the regular selection of medical cases to be solved. The most memorable moments of the episode come early on with Max (Joshua Jackson) providing real competition to Tristan (Sean Teale) by constantly showing up in the same costume. While the idea Avery (Phillipa Soo) isn't good at Halloween feels like just giving her a themed plot on the show (which isn't really necessary given her big save on the beach), the episode also features several of the guest-stars in a variety of costumes.

Venom: The Last Dance

The third, and apparently final, Venom movie is, like the first two movies in the franchise, a bit of a mess. I'm not the biggest fan of either Venom or Venom: Let There Be Carnage, but Venom: The Last Dance is definitely the least of the three movies. While the film presents some enjoyable moments, such as Venom taking over a horse and fish, and the interactions between Venom and Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), the story doesn't make a lick of sense.

Woman of the Hour

Based on real events, Anna Kendrick's directorial debut splits its focus between serial killer Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) and struggling actress Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick) whose lives intersect as contestants on The Dating Game. I like all the pieces here, as the script by Ian McDonald explores 70s misogyny across both stories as Bradshaw makes compromises to further her career and McDonald targets young woman to add to his list of victims. My only complaint with the film is how it is put together.

The Irrational - Bad Blood

After apparently writing her off in the season premiere, and then teasing doing that again here, Rose (Karen David) apparently will be sticking around. The murder of the week involving a woman killed during an ice hockey game, theoretically pits the pair on opposite sides (but it doesn't take all that long before they are working together to solve the case). The episode ends with Rose tempted to walk away but Alec (Jesse L. Martin) convincing her to stay. Our B-story involves Kylie (Travina Springer) getting in trouble with the FBI when one of her hacker friends uses her code to commit a crime. Getting to the truth puts her on the outs with a longtime friend.

AEW Origins

Created as a one-shot for San Diego Comic Con by DC Comics (owned by AEW's broadcasting partner Warner Bros. Discovery), AEW Origins is more a curiosity than anything else. While I think there's certainly room for DC to tell stories featuring AEW talent, similar to the various comics WWE has put out over the years, this appears to be the company dipping its toes into the water more than launching a broader campaign.

Venom

Removing Venom out of Spider-Man's universe and introducing him on his own as the main character of a horror flick was an odd choice. Originally introduced in the comics as a nemesis for Spider-Man, in recent years the character has evolved into something of an anti-hero given his popularity. It's that version Sony and director Ruben Fleischer attempted to capture in 2018 film as an alien symbiote from across the stars bonds itself to a loser in need of redemption. Together, they will save the world.

NCIS: Origins - Bend, Don't Break

The case of the week involves a dead dealer found on the edge of Camp Pendleton. The victim had been selling Marijuana to petty officers on the base leading the team to the local mall, which will soon have both guns and toys stolen by the same crew, and where they receive a warning from the dead dealer's partner about the curse of "the Moth Man" (a local urban legend) which no one, other than Gibbs (Austin Stowell), takes seriously. Still in the neighborhood, Jackson (Robert Taylor) has a conversation with Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) in an attempt to talk him into cutting Leroy loose from NIS. The discussion only further alienates father and son after Franks benches the probie.

Nightwing #118

"Fallen Grayson" concludes with our hero taking on Heartless first as Dick Grayson (publicly shattering his smear campaign) and later as Nightwing. While we get appearances by the Bat-Family and their search for the missing children, most of this happens off panel with the focus of the comic back on its star and the criminal who has attempting to take everything from him. Hell, the baddies even deny Dick getting justice for his parents and shooting Dick's dog!

A Discovery of Witches - Episode 4 & 5

While others conspire to keep them apart, the fourth and fifth episodes of the series are about cementing the unlikely romantic partnership between Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) and Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode). Unable to frighten Diana away, Ysabeau (Lindsay Duncan) must eventually cave and accept his son's love for the witch. It seems Diana may have friends after all. However, the infighting at the conclave will lead to Dian being whisked away from the safety of Sept-Tours ending on a cliffhanger.

Wonder Woman #14

After being hijacked for a couple of months to offer Absolute Power tie-in issues, Wonder Woman #14 returns to the Sovereign story and the patriarchal cult which has attempted to best, and break, Diana for the better part of a year. Still narrated by the Sovereign, the issue gives us their murder of Steve Trevor and the fallout that comes after it. Looking to hurt the woman who has bested them at every stage, the killing of Trevor sends the group into full readiness to await her reply... which never comes.

Murder in a Small Town - Prized Possessions

"Prized Possessions" provides an interesting twist as Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) investigates the disappearance, and apparent murder, of Cassandra's (Kristin Kreuk) high-strung friend Emma (Erica Durance). Given that we seen Emma shoot a gun at her husband Charlie (Toby Levins) in the opening tease it's not hard for us to jump to conclusions as to what occurred suggesting she's killed her husband and waited to set up a perfect alibi for herself. Picking up on the friction in the marriage, Karl jumps to a similar conclusion. However, the truth turns out to be more complicated.

You Shouldn't Have Let Me In

Joining the their friend Rochelle (Isabella Egizi), a social media influencer bride, in Italy, Kelsey (Diana Gardner) and Blake (Nathaniel Ansbach) find themselves drawn into the world of a vampire (Fabián Castro) in whose house the bachelorette weekend is taking place. Drawn to Kelsey because she reminds him of his lost love, Victor (Castro) begins gaslighting the other women and seducing Kelsey while Blake, your typical gay best friend, is recruited by a cute local (Riccardo Angelini) to help stop the vampire.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory - Batten Down the Hatches

Working as a bridge between the show's First and Second Seasons, the season premiere "Batten Down the Hatches" gives us the our heroes stowed away on the dino freighter on the way to learn more about the mysterious "Broker." A storm causes some mayhem aboard the ship, but also distracts the crew from dealing with the stowaways who put their dino-knowledge to work to get the dinosaurs back in their cages before leaving on a lifeboat and finding themselves shipwrecked on a new island (suggesting that, if they remain on the island, this season might be more like the series which spawned the show than last season).

Jenny Sparks #3

While providing a flashback to Jenny Sparks and Superman discussing his role as the most powerful being on the planet shortly after her return from the dead, the majority of Jenny Sparks #3 continues to focus on the Captain Atom issue with the former Leaguer holding hostages and demanding to be recognized as a god. The Justice League has arrived to handle the situation, ignoring Jenny's input in favor a a shock and awe campaign that eventually just leaves us with the same status quo (well, that and Atom's daughter who he barbeques rather than let her talk sense into him - not your best idea Justice League).

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft - A Set of Lies Agreed Upon

The second episode of the series takes an impatient Lara Croft (Hayley Atwell) and Jonah (Earl Baylon) to a small village in China in search of the matching box to the one that was stolen from Croft Manor. The hunt for the temple is sidetracked by the needs of a local village whose children have gone missing. Choosing to help, Lara's side quest will actually lead her to the object she was seeking while also releasing a trapped spirit and saving the children. The episode doesn't do much to push the story forward, however, it does give us Lara problem solving in a tomb and getting her groove back.

Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #1

While it includes Moon Knight, and makes references to the other members of the Midnight Mission, Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #1 is more about setting up adversaries for our heroes in the new series than the heroes themselves. Set against a discussion between Flint and corrupt cop Detective Frazier looking for some dirt on Moon Knight, we get scenes of our hero threatening drug dealer Achilles Fairchild whose new magic-induced drug is sweeping the city.

Only Murders in the Building - Lifeboat

Returning to the Arconia, and the Westies of Vince (Richard Kind), Rudy (Kumail Nanjiani), Alfonso (Desmin Borges), Inez (Daphne Rubin-Vega), and Ana (Lilian Rebelo), "Lifeboat" solves the death of Dudenoff (Griffin Dunne) while still leaving unanswered questions about the murder of Sazz (Jane Lynch). Dudenoff killing himself for his friends and them fulfilling his wishes by faking his continued existence feels an awful lot like the writers struggling to get themselves out of a dead end of their own making. The show ends with another cliffhanger and a new direction for the investigation pointing to the set of the film Sazz was working on and another familiar face.

Transformers #13

Following the brutal beatdown at the hands of Soundwave, a broken Starscream is found by scavengers... in a H.I.S.S. Tank (are we finally getting the G.I. JOE/Transformers crossover?). While those events are used to set the story in motion, the primary story from Transformers #13 takes place years before on Cybertron giving us a look at Starscream before he ever became a Decepticon.

Family Guy - Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Cheater

The Family Guy Halloween episode "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Cheater" fits the show's formula with Peter (Seth MacFarlane) doing something stupid (here breaking his neighbor's pumpkin while attempting to steal it) without a reason or a plan, and a B-story of Stewie (MacFarlane) doing something crazy (here bringing his teddy bear to life to replace Brian after the pair have their latest tiff). Both stories have a Fall theme, although its ready just Halloween-ish trappings for the characters to get into their usual shenanigans. 

Citadel: Diana - War

The second episode of Citadel: Diana serves two purposes. First, it cements a secret partnership between Diana (Matilda De Angelis) and Edo (Lorenzo Cervasio) to turn the rival Manticore agencies against each other. The plan bears some early fruit, although Edo's father continuing to sniff around Diana may eventually cause a problem (even if going with his son's plan unintentionally saves Diana's life while the rival Manticore agencies take out most of their other agents). Second, "War" provides flashbacks to Diana's training from Gabriele (Filippo Nigro) for Citadel explaining her ability to lie and deceive as well as the cause of her medical condition.

The Irrational - A Kick in the Teeth

As Phoebe (Molly Kunz) discovers there may be trouble in paradise in her new job, Owen's (Arash DeMaxi) trial replacement for her (Max Lloyd-Jones) has a rough week. On the positive note, Simon does his job perfectly in one of the tests run by the department that are the highlight of the episode showcasing how inaccurate eye-witness accounts can be (first through the use of playing cards immediately followed by a staged theft). On the other-hand, he leaves Owen high and dry after having an emotional reaction to a crime scene. Still, it appears he be sticking around, at least in the short-term and until Phoebe's arc with her new boss , who isn't above plagiarizing her assistants' work, comes to fruition.

Space Ghost #6

As Jace struggles with recent events, and the death caused by his hands, Space Ghost, Jan, and Blip continue to fight the good fight on their own as the comic introduces another classic Space Ghost villain in a single-issue story. Space Ghost #6 gives us Moltar whose backstory is beefed up making him a deranged scientist out for revenge and working with Robo Corp against those he blames for his disfigurement and the loss of his family. Oh, and he really doesn't like Space Ghost.

NCIS: Origins - Enter Sandman

The two-part opener to NCIS: Origins introduces Austin Stowell as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on his first day working for NIS (which would eventually get rebranded into NCIS). Still shaken from the loss of his wife and daughter (shown in flashbacks), Gibbs is far from the cocky veteran seen in the NCIS opener, but the journey to how he gets there should be half of the fun. While we do get present day narration and cameos from Mark Harmon foreshadowing the importance of the case, and some dark secret he never shared, along with his relationship to one of the agents in particular, they are few and far between and it doesn't appear (at least from this) that he will have a large part in the series.

The Old Man - XIII

As Harold (John Lithgow) tracks down Morgan Bote's (Joel Grey) dying message to Julian Carson (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and an unexpected face from his past, Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) and Zoe (Amy Brenneman) search for Hamzad's lawyer (Rowena King) who has disappeared. Zoe learns a little more about tradecraft as Dan applies pressure to the lawyer's assistant (Ana Mulvoy Ten) and the pair find more than they were searching for as the series continues to take some unexpected paths. 

Scarlett #5

After a cameo by Cobra Commander and  Scarlett, Jinx, and Storm Shadow making it out alive with the Sword of Life, Scarlett #5 gives us our heroine refusing extraction and choosing to stay undercover knowing if she leaves Jinx will be left alone among the Arashikage. And then... it ends? 

Doctor Odyssey - Plastic Surgery Week

"Plastic Surgery Week" is about putting characters in emotional situations to further explore their characters. For Max (Joshua Jackson) that means meeting, and the losing, a reality-TV star (Justin Jedlica) who meant quite a lot to him during his time in quarantine. The oddity of the friendship is remarked on by both his subordinates, but the flashbacks make it work well-enough. At the same time Tristan (Sean Teale) is surprised by his mother's arrival and once again confounded the cruelty of her affection. While also odd, this too works well enough and the pair's separate experiences do allow them to do some further bonding.

Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #3

Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #3 offers three more tales. We get two tales of the ultra-aggressive Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man during his time wearing the symbiote and one Spidey-adjacent story. Taking place during the events of Secret Wars, "Whatever Happened to Master Blood" inserts the super-villain Master Blood into events of the series only for Kang to take out the competition, wiping him from existence, rather than allow Blood to get his hands on the symbiote before Spider-Man.

Murder in a Small Town - A Chill Rain

Notable for downplaying the romance into a subplot separate from the latest murder, "A Chill Rain" gives us Zoe Strachan (Stana Katic) whose brother is found murdered after arriving in town begging for money to pay of loan sharks. It's not a bad episode, but there's little surprise that Zoe is the killer (and just what is that accent from Katic?). Zoe is smart enough not to incriminate herself but acts incredibly recklessly in lying to the police and bullying her nephew when a little kindness, even faked, would likely have led her to getting away with murder. Her recklessness makes you wonder how she remained out of jail for so long.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft - A Single Step

A mopey Lara Croft (Hayley Atwell) isn't exciting and we get far too much of that version of the character in the opening episode of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. We start we an adventure in the jungle and the recovery of an artifact with Roth (Nolan North). However we quickly jump years ahead to a self-destructive Lara ostracized from her friends for vaguely described events which she also blames herself for Roth's death. Returning home for some spring cleaning, Lara decides to hold an auction giving away much of the Croft trinkets and treasures only for a thief to steal one, that box she and Roth acquired in the opening scenes, from the mansion.