Disney+ has a new series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with Hawkeye. Adapted from the acclaimed Hawkeye comic book series written by Matt Fraction, this new TV series follows not one but two people with claim to the mantle of Hawkeye.
Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) is just trying to be the bestest dad to his kids, newly returned at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
The series introduces us to Barton being tortured.
On Broadway.
By ROGERS! The Musical.
It's supposed to be a Hamilton-esque Broadway show based o the life of Captain America, Steve Rogers.
We get to see the big musical number set around Cap leading the Avengers in the battle of New York called "I Could Do This All Day!"
For some reason, Ant Man is part of the cast.
Historical inaccuracies are the least of Barton's problems with the show. Seeing "Black Widow" singing and dancing up there dredges up Barton's ghosts.
Barton is haunted by a lot of things. Haunted by the loss of his family to the Thanos snap and the loss of Natasha Romanov, the price paid to get undo what Thanos did to get his family back.
And the loss of his sanity between those two points, when he became the ruthless slayer of the under world known as Ronin.
It's his time as Ronin that drives our narrative in his series and brings in our other key player.
Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) has her own losses to contend with, the loss of her father, killed in the battle of New York when Loki's invading army of alien monsters attacked the city. During that attack, Kate sees Barton in action and is inspired to take up archery.
A decade later, Kate is living a reckless life with no clear direction and she's at odds with her mother who runs a security company, is rich, successful and attracting the attention of Jack Duquesne, a dilettante that Kate does not trust.
Kate follows Jack to a black market auction featuring items recovered from the remains of the Avengers Compound including the uniform and sword of the mysterious Ronin.
Shenanigans ensue which involves Kate donning the Ronin suit, kicking serious butt (she's picked up some serious fighting skills along with her archery) and gets noticed on TV.
Which gets Barton's attention.
Barton figures this to be a quick gig: he tracks down Kate, get the suit back, put it away safely and get back to the family down on the farm in time for Christmas.
Life and Kate Bishop have other plans.
The Tracksuit Mafia would like to have words with Ronin, whoever they may be.
Hawkeye is filled with lot of a great action sequences and the banter between Barton and his unwanted protege Bishop is smart and funny.
Also making the trip from Matt Fraction's comic book: Lucky, the Pizza Dog!
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While the new 4th season of Star Trek Discovery launched a few weeks ago, Andrea and I have been playing catch up and just finished season 3.
Season 3 saw the status quo for the series change dramatically. And leaping into the 32nd century is the best thing to happen to this series.
It's not a happy future the crew finds in this brave new time 900 years after their own.
Dilithium is in short supply.
With warp drive curtailed, planets only hours from each other are now years apart.
An event known as the Burn decimated Starfleet.
The Federation is a shell of it's former self. It still exists and it tries to help where it can but it's power and influence diminished.
The appearance of Discovery with it's still functioning warp drive (with dilithium to run it) AND it's spore drive is regarded with cautious optimism by the 32nd century Federation.
Some welcome changes to the series:
Yes, Michael Burnham is still our main protagonist but the show feels less like "Burnham and some other people" and more of a true ensemble which allows for some welcome character development for Stamets, Culber and Tilly as well as more of the bridge crew such as Detmer and Owosekun. And Suru gets to be Captain which is a most welcome development.
Michael Burnham still has a frustrating habit of whispering dialogue.
And we got some really good new characters like Book (David Ajala), the courier living a sort of roguish life who bonds with Burnham and becomes a vital part of the Discovery crew.
Adira (Blu del Barrio) the human teenager who has become host to a Trill symbiont. Being human and not Trill, they (like actor del Barrio, Adira is non-binary and prefers "they/them" pronouns) are still working out the kinks of possessing the centuries of knowledge held by a Trill symbiont. One of those kinks is that Gray, the previous host and Adira's lover, is still haunting them. Adira is not dealing with this alone as Stamets and Culber have "adopted" them.
I gotta comment on Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr). Years of Star Trek have taught me to mistrust admirals who are either officious bureaucrats or outright frickin' evil. I anticipated the worst when the Discovery crew first makes contact with Admiral Vance. His first orders are for the crew to be interrogated and re-assigned while their ship is studied. Oh, no! He's one of THOSE admirals.
But we get to see the layers peel back. As Commander-in-Chief of what's left of Starfleet in a hostile galaxy, Vance has every reason to be distrustful. But he is shown to be a man who listens and processed new information and adjusts accordingly. He has an amazing resource in Discovery and a crew that already knows how to work the damn thing. He reverses his orders and lets the crew stay together.
Vance is a man with a vastly limited Starfleet trying to adhere to the ideals of the Federation. With Discovery, he allows himself the option of having hope.
Season 3 ends of a positive note.
Looking forward to Season 4.
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I have journeyed up and down the timeline of Gilmore Girls, The Original Series (GGTOS). I haven't seen each episode but I've followed most of GGTOS from pilot to finale.
Recently, I took the plunge to watch Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life (GGAYITL). It's a series of 4 extra length episodes, each taking place during a season of a year in the life of our Gilmore Girls about a decade after Rory graduates from Yale.
Stars Hollow is still the magical New England town that time forgot but time has moved forward nonetheless. In the intervening decade since GGTOS ended. Lorelei and Luke have given their relationship ago and are living together in domestic... if not bliss, then domestic comfort. Luke's OK with the way things are but Lorelei still over thinks things.
With the passing of beloved character actor Edward Herrmann, the story addresses the passing of beloved family patriarch Richard Gilmore. Emily is dealing with this with her usual cocktail of denial, distraction and actual cocktails. Where Emily ends up by the 4th episode GGAYITL is so different from the Emily who ruled the roost in GGTOS.
The biggest disappointment between GGTOS and GGAYTIL is Rory. Ar 32 years old, Rory seems to have mastered none of the world of possibilities open to her when she graduated from Yale 10 years earlier. She sold one piece to The New Yorker and seems to be hanging her hat on that. She has no permanent address, her life and possessions in cardboard boxes stored at the houses of her mom, grandmother and various friends.
She ends GGAYITL on a hopeful note, have cracked the code on writing a book about the life experiences of her mother called appropriately enough "Gilmore Girls".
It also ends on an expectant note:
Rory: "Mom?"
Lorelei: "Yeah?"
Rory: "I'm pregnant."
Fade to black. Series ends.
What the hell?
REALLY?!?!
We're ending there?!?!?
That was FIVE years ago with no signs of another GGAYITL on the horizon.
By the way, GGAYITL sounds like a drug.
"Side effects include depression, elation, confusion, frustration and rage from a cliffhangers that will never be resolved. Ask your doctor if GGAYITL is right for you."
And that is that for this week's Tuesday TV Touchbase.
Until next time, remember to be good to one another and try to keep it down in there, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here.
And do not take GGAYITL without consulting your doctor.
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