Intro

SPEAKER_02 0:00

No, this isn't some low effort belated April Fools joke. We actually did change the name of our podcast so it finally meshes our brand. But everything else is just as weird as ever.

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This week, we are starting the discussion with two very badass female-led films, Forbidden Fruits and They Will Kill You.

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And for TV, we'll be discussing season two, episode five of Monarch Legacy of Monsters, and season two, episodes two and three of Daredevil Born Again. I'm Ashley. And I'm Sushi. And now our podcast is also We Should Watch.

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Episode one.

Movie Review: Forbidden Fruits

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Let's do it. We should watch the Okay, guys.

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Forbidden Fruits marks the feature debut of Meredith Alloway, who co-wrote the script with playwright Lily Hawton, adapting it from Hawton's stage play called, and this is a great name, Of the Women came the beginning of sin, and through her all we die. Oh my gosh. Great title. The film also arrives with some serious indie credibility, having landed on the blacklist before getting picked up. Do you know about the blacklist?

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Okay, let me tell you about it.

SPEAKER_02 1:39

Other than the show The Blacklist.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

Oh my God. I wish that's what no, I don't know. So the Blacklist is an award that's given out every year in Hollywood for the best unproduced screenplays.

SPEAKER_03 1:52

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

So a lot of them go on to be produced, but it gives them like a lot of industry buzz. Gotcha. And so that's the start of the script for Forbidden Fruits. And after that, it was picked up with Diablo Cody on board as a producer. So it stars Lily Reinhard, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Schip, and Lola Tung alongside Emma Chamberlain, and centers on a group of young women working in a Texas mall who become entangled in a secretive, hyper-exclusive social circle that promises connection, power, and a sense of belonging. With a clear hint that something darker and more ritualistic is going on underneath it. So totally, this thing is very much operating in the like Mean Girls Meets the Craft Lane, blending satire and horror and a heightened, slightly surreal take on female friendship and social hierarchy. And that tracks with its origins. What started as a smaller dialogue-driven play has expanded into something more cinematic and stylized, with Alloway coming in with like a really distinct voice right out of the gate. So yeah, what do you think about the movie, Sush?

SPEAKER_02 3:11

I had no awareness of Meredith Allway, who directed and wrote the movie. But I did recognize a few of the casts when I saw the trailer. I didn't watch Riverdale, but I recognized Lily Reinhardt who also played Betty Cooper on that show. But admittedly, at first glance, my first time seeing the trailer, I mistook her for Amber Heard.

SPEAKER_04 3:35

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

Due to Hurd having similarly bold red hair when she played Mara and Aquaman and U movies. But Alexandra Ship, I mainly know from playing Storm and X-Men Apocalypse. But also in checking her filmography, I noticed that she also played one of the Barbies in Barbie.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

But there are too many Barbies to keep track of in that movie, really.

SPEAKER_01 4:01

John Cena's a Barbie for Crying Out Loud.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

Yeah. And the wilder thing that I noticed was that she was in the 2019 Shaft movie with Samuel L. Jackson, which is actually a sequel to the 2000 Shaft movie that he also starred in. I can't remember if I saw the 2019 one, so just bringing that up since I might want to check it out, even though I assume I didn't see it because it wasn't notably good or bad in any way.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

Yeah, I don't remember at all. I have no memory of that.

SPEAKER_02 4:33

But I didn't recognize anyone else from the trailer, but did really think that the movie had a unique, mysterious vibe while also having some funny moments in it. Also, besides the teaser and full trailer, I just hadn't really come across anything about this movie on social media or otherwise. But as I mentioned, it had a few faces I recognized, so I was just curious to find out what it was really about. Beyond that, maybe the fact that a lot of my time is a preteen and in my early 20s were spent hanging out and or working at the local mall. I also have noticed the trend with malls becoming popular with Gen Alpha and younger Gen Z. So I thought this movie would at least provide an idea of what that experience is like for them now, I guess. Like what's really made them worth young people's time again. But yeah, and seeing the movie, I enjoyed the plot of it and really wasn't expecting there to be a ton of depth to the story. But while I don't think it's exceptional, it it did seem like the writer did a pretty good job at adding it to the movie. So that was cool. In researching this movie after seeing it, it made a lot of sense that the movie was based on a play one of the writers, Lily Houghton, created. The plot pretty much takes place in a single setting, or at least various settings within a greater enclosed area, the mall, obviously. So I think it translated really well into the film adaptation. I absolutely love our four leads in this movie, and I thought they all did a great job playing their respective characters. But Lily Reinhardt as Apple and Lola Tung as Pumpkin were definitely the standouts in the movie. I don't know if these two interface between each other more than any other characters in the movie, but I can say that the interactions shared between them are arguably more substantive.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

Oh, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 6:24

I love Alexandra Ship's character fig, and I really think that she did a great job with exposition and bringing us into the world of the fruits and the free Eden store that they work in before we really experience some of the characters' wilder moments. I also thought that Victoria Pigretti is cherry was so adorably naive and was so great at being the comedic backbone of this movie.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:49

Um, I really love the design of the movie, particularly the costume, mostly due to it being current fashion and set design, because I love malls. I've spent a lot of time in them, and I really think it not only looked like a mall, but it had all the typical characters as far as like mall employees and shoppers, and even one as far as to incorporate some very mall-centric set pieces into the plot, which was really fun. I think this movie was a bit crazier and gorier than I expected, but I definitely am not mad at either of those things. In fact, I think it really contributed to me enjoying this movie way more than I expected. So if you're on the fence about this movie and you're into movies that are a little crazy and bloody, then you should definitely see this. Moving into my ratings. I gave this a four for enjoyment and a three and a half for quality. Again, I thought this movie was significantly better than I was expecting. Maybe the fairly mysterious teaser and trailer helped contribute to that feel. But if that was the intention, I guess it worked. Given that at face value, this movie probably isn't something I'd probably want to see outright. I will say that the familiarity with the setting, a shopping mall, and also enjoying a lot of mall and pop culture stuff in general and the energy that this movie gives off, that I could only describe as Mean Girls Cross with the Craft, even though I didn't actually see the latter movie, were what made this movie so enjoyable to me. As far as the quality goes, I really think that given the limited setting of this movie, it really maximized everything to the point where I wasn't thinking about it for the most part. Except when certain aspects like the fashion or attitude or music or just vibes as a whole were all at their peak because you couldn't not realize how good they were. The only recommendation I have after seeing this movie is completely based on vibes, and that would be Charlie X the X's mockumentary, The Moment, which we reviewed recently. I don't know. I'm a dude, so I probably don't have a lot of movies and shows or reference related to this movie, but I definitely think these two movies felt the same in Savoys.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

Interesting. Yeah, so I had a really good time with this movie. It's one of those movies where the more I sat with it, especially after seeing it a second time, the more I appreciate what it was doing. First off, just like you were saying, the acting is awesome. These girls are killing it. Everyone feels super distinct, which is really key in a movie like this. You've got pumpkin who comes out kind of wide-eyed, but there's clearly something more going on under the surface than Cherry, who's just straight up a ding bat, like she is.

SPEAKER_03 9:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

She is flighty, she is odd and very, yeah, adorable. And then Apple is fascinating because she's all about control while claiming, as she says in the movie, I don't believe in hierarchy and female friendships.

unknown 9:54

Right.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

It's like, okay, girl, sure. And then there's Fig, who's I I thought was very fun. She's a little edgier on the surface, but she has this soft spot for Ed Sharon. She mentions him like three, four times, and she's very much in her feelings over her boyfriend. And they're all really distinct in a way that makes it fascinating to watch. Yeah. And and it's cool to see how they interact, especially how their dynamic shifts depending on whether Apple's in the room or not. Um, and speaking of Apple, I think Lily Reinhardt in particular really was incredible. Um she's playing things very stylized, very funny, very controlled. But then there's this one moment where you see the mask slip. You see what's underneath all of that. And it's really powerful. Um, what I think the movie does best, though, is the idea of performative sisterhood, which is something that the director talked about in interviews. So, about how these girls are chasing love and acceptance, but through this very curated, almost transactional version of what, quote, female friendship is supposed to look like. And you really feel that. There's this sense, again, like something the director touched on. She has a really great interview in the Hollywood Reporter. I really recommend it. But she said, if these girls actually sort of checked in and were real with each other, asked, Hey, how are you doing? None of the things that happen in this movie would have happened.

SPEAKER_02 11:29

Oh, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

You know, instead of that, it becomes all about image and status and control. It's really cool. And that ties into the satire, which I thought worked really well. I mean, it is funny as hell. Gen genuinely funny.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

I think a lot of it is also because it's like these characters are based on, you know, types of girls that you would meet at a mall or just in high school, I guess. But there's so much nuance to them that you really don't think about it until they're doing something very characteristic of like the type of character they're playing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

Yeah, it's so funny because they're very out there, but there is something that you see in them and you're like, oh, I know that girl, you know?

SPEAKER_04 12:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

And I love too, in addition to the dialogue and just the structure of the screenplay, there's just so many visual jokes and throwaway lines. Like the mall setting is amazing. It feels like it's like its own weird little ecosystem.

SPEAKER_04 12:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Like everyone knows each other. The fruits are basically celebrities, they're getting free stuff, people are talking about them. Oh my god. And the store names are insane. At the beginning, pumpkin is working at a pretzel place called Sister Salt. And my absolute favorite was there's a key scene that takes place at a restaurant called Yeast Garden.

SPEAKER_02 12:56

Oh, right.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

Yeast Garden. I still can't get over it.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

Um, yeah. And also, like I said a little earlier, it's one of those movies that really rewards a rewatch. There's so many little details and lines that feel kind of random at first, and then they come back in ways that are really satisfying. I won't spoil anything, but I will definitely say that everything's there for a reason. And visually, yeah, it looked great. The costumes are insane. I'm particularly obsessed with Cherry's outfit when we first see her. She's wearing these like bloomers, is the only thing I could call them, but they look sort of like a fabric diaper.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

Uh yeah, they do kind of look diaper-ish. It was very funny. And it goes with her whole kind of naive childish demeanor.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

But then up top, she's got a teeny crop top. Like it barely, it doesn't cover her rib cage. And she's got no brawn and is fastened by a single button that looks pretty precarious. And I'm like, that's great. Cause she's someone who is also, shall we say, in touch with her sexuality. And there's a lot of really specific Texas flavor going on throughout that really adds to the vibe. Lots of cowboy boobs. And I will say, okay, the one thing I have, it's not a criticism per se, but in my experience of the movie, the pacing threw me off a bit at first. Not in a bad way, but more that when I first watched it, I didn't fully know what kind of movie I was in yet. You know, like, is this gonna go full over the top? Is it more grounded? Are there certain elements that are literal? Is it not? And uh that sort of uncertainty creates almost like a low-level tension. But I actually think that works in the movie's favor because you're basically in the same position as pumpkin. You're learning the rules of the world as she is, and it's a little unnerving. Oh, and the other thing is, I know you love malls, but it's contained in a mall, like almost all of it. And that gave me a weird feeling of claustrophobia. Like I used to work in a mall in my 20s, and it just brought back feelings of being stuck in this tiny insular world, not being able to see the sunlight. But I think that kind of helps the story, honestly.

SPEAKER_02 15:28

It does, it's like its own little world, figure out.

SPEAKER_01 15:31

Yeah, totally. Unthematically, there's a lot going on, but there's interesting stuff too. I thought, about how the girls talk about men versus how those relationships actually show up in the movie. It very much keeps the focus on women and how they process interactions with men, which I thought was cool. Okay, also important but random, the use of the whisper song in this.

SPEAKER_03 15:56

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

It's a really great montage. It's fantastic. So yeah, getting into my ratings here, I gave it double four, baby. I really enjoyed it, especially on the rewatch, to be honest, because I had my grounding a little bit more, and I really got to just enjoy all the quirks and themes and interesting little twists. And for quality, I think a lot of that is based on the script. There's a reason it won the blacklist. It is really nicely structured. The characters are fascinating. There's so much detail, and and again, the performances were just great. So overall, I think it was just really fun, interesting, kind of sneakily layered movie. And uh it's pretty amazing that this is a date debut movie, too. So I'm really excited to see what the director does next.

SPEAKER_02 16:57

Cool. Well, with that said, uh, I guess we should just make like uh one of the places in the food court in the mall and just uh keep calm and cookie on.

Movie Review: They Will Kill You

SPEAKER_01 17:09

Oh my god, yes, I forgot about that one. They will kill you is a highly stylized, deeply violent, practical effects-packed action fest. Uh, the premise is simple enough. A woman takes a housekeeping job at a New York City high-rise where all is not as it seems, but the Truefon comes in the execution, the reveals, and the absolutely standout performance from the Beats and her co-stars. Now, interestingly, this film dropped in theaters just one week after Ready or Not Two. Both movies share a lot of similarities. Lead actresses fighting like hell, mysterious, powerful figures, and even a subplot involving family. But where Ready or Not Two goes a little more for gloss and camp, I would say, They Will Kill You is pretty feral, down and dirty. So it's really interesting to follow it up a week right after the last one. Uh, what do you think of this movie, Sush?

SPEAKER_02 18:17

Well, I had no awareness of Kirill Tokolov, uh, who directed, wrote, and produced this movie, but I have seen Zazi Beats, most notably the second Deadpool movie, as well as obviously Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette and other stuff. I mainly wanted to see this movie based on the cool horror-action comedy vibe the trailer gave off and the cast that was in it. I love action comedy and I've grown to love horror comedy, so yeah, I at least had to see if this actually followed through with the same vibe when seeing the actual movie in full. And in all honesty, I wasn't expecting really any actual story beyond the you know, new maid shows up to her job at an old hotel that turns out to specifically be an old murder hotel.

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Murder!

SPEAKER_02 19:12

But I guess it was fine that we got one, even though I don't know if it was one of the strengths of the movie, nor do I really feel like it did much to strengthen any of the elements that I did find to be notable from this movie. Anyway, we pretty much experienced that story that I was mentioning immediately at the start of the movie. So already I think I was a bit more awake, I guess you could say, for this movie. But honestly, after you actually sit through some of that, the movie really picks up. So again, it honestly didn't affect it negatively nor positively for me. Beyond that, though, I think the movie delivered pretty much what I expected based on the trailer. As I was taking notes for this movie, the description I had in my head was quote, Zazzy Beats' character experiences escalating threats, which I think is through for the most part, though. I think as viewers, we're kind of expected to base the overall threat level of a given scene in this movie on both quantity of threats and the degree of threat that each antagonist poses. Anyway, like all technical about it. Zazie Beats was created as the main character, Asia Reeves, in this movie. Ashley, I know I was saying to you after seeing this movie how I felt like Zazie Beats went to her agent after having a taste of doing an action role, playing Domino in Deadpool 2, and asked them to line something up where she could do more stunts. But in all seriousness, she plays this role with real energy and intensity, which I felt was kind of the opposite of her luck-powered character in Deadpool 2's.

SPEAKER_01 20:57

Yeah, true.

SPEAKER_02 20:59

Since I didn't recognize Mayala Harold from anything else I've seen, I admissed underestimating her role. But I felt like she did fine, even though I did feel like it was pretty limited in screen time. Seeing Tom Felton in this movie, I immediately thought of Fakham Hall, which she was also in, and we reviewed previously. Honestly, just because both of the characters really like live in the primary place where the movie takes place, by that I mean they really embody it either because they seem like they uh probably never leave the place or just have some traits you'd associate with people who live at the given place. But yeah, really the only major difference for me was that in this movie the character was less dumb, uh, which I think in Fackham Hall was implied to be due to inbreeding.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

And in this movie, he was just more loud. And evil, I guess. He wasn't completely not dumb though, so I do want to point that out. That's kind of funny.

SPEAKER_01 22:07

Yeah. A tinge of stupidity.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

Yeah. Patricia Arquette was great being cast as Lily, who I think was like the manager of the hotel, or at least the cleaning service department of it. Regardless, I think her smarmy and at times angry portrayal of the character was perfect. And it honestly took me a while to realize that Hella Graham was in this movie.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

I didn't realize till like after we saw it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:32

Yeah, I honestly haven't seen her in anything since like the hangover part three and hadn't come across anything about her being in any theatrical release recently. So that was totally an unexpected surprise. Uh, for me at least, her character was really different than most of the characters I've seen her as. Almost like a polar opposite of them because she usually plays really bubbly characters, and this one definitely is not bubbly. I love the design of this movie, but most notably the fight choreography set and costume design.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:02

Again, I think her role as Domino in Deadpool 2 had two lacks of a personality for me to really remember whether Zazzy Beats was any good as a fighter or using weapons, or if she even did either of those things. But god damn, there's no doubt that Zazzy Beats leveled up as far as weapons and hand-to-hand comment trading for a role in this movie. I love the creepy vibe of the old hotel they're in for pretty much this entire movie. It's very much an old hotel, but there's clearly modern security hardware and monitoring that's been put into it. Also, I love how the costumes fit the vibe of the old hotel since the maid uniforms basically haven't changed since this hotel was built like a century before this. I also love the practical effects in this movie, though I didn't mention it earlier when I was talking about the design, since I didn't have as strong of an impression of what the style would be from seeing the trailer, but the actual movie is pretty specific and deliberate in its style. So I think it was kind of along the lines of what you were mentioning earlier. Um, I think this movie ended up feeling like I expected it to for the most part, except for the unexpected aspect of the plot that I mentioned early on that kicks off the entire movie. But even with that said, I don't think that unexpected aspect took away from the movie too much, although I think it could have easily done without it. Maybe they thought they needed it to appeal to broader audiences, but what's weird about that is I just didn't get the impression of that from the trailer at all, really. I do think that the fight choreography was much better than I expected. So if she hasn't yet, I'm sure Ashley will be looking at who exactly worked on that aspect of this movie. Going into my ratings, I gave this a four for enjoyment and a three for quality. Overall, I thought this positively embodied what I'd call a popcorn movie, especially one in the realm of vengeance quests or rescue movies. As I mentioned at the start of my review, I was primarily interested in seeing this movie because it seemed to be a crossover between Action Company and horror comedy. So the fact that it really delivered on this and it was a lot more fun and in some ways sillier than what I expected, uh, while also delivering better than expected quality fight choreography and overall action were really what made this movie as enjoyable as it was for me. Uh, with that said, I definitely don't think all the aspects of this movie were at the same level of quality as those elements I mentioned. I think one aspect was definitely questionable, but again, not necessarily bad or good. It had to do with that story element I mentioned several times already. While I give the quality slightly higher than middle grade, mostly due to the aspects contributing to my enjoyment being done really well. And while I enjoyed uh most of the other design aspects of the movie, I think the setting and the story kind of caused it to feel a bit restricted. So it really kind of just left me wanting more. This movie really didn't lean me to any specific recommendations, but I'd say if you really enjoy this movie, maybe look into other action movies that take place in an enclosed building, like a hotel, mansion, or prison that are martial arts and weapons heavy, and or action horror movies with a rescue, revenge, or survival element central to the plot. I'm expecting Ashley might have some suggestions based on those descriptions, though. Yes. But yeah, I'll probably leave that to her.

SPEAKER_01 26:50

Excellent. Yeah. So this movie, it's funny. In my notes, I had the same thing that you started off with. Like I knew two things, Zazzy beats, and it looked cool as fuck. You know, like that's what I knew going in. And honestly, that's enough for me because I really like the premise of that stuck in a building have to fight your way out from something like die hard to the raid. It's a formula that just really works, you know, tight spaces, rising tension, characters pushed to their limit. And it's funny, I haven't seen the director's previous work, but I have had Why Don't You Just Die on my watch list since it came out? Because I remember reading that it was both violent and hilarious. And how can you turn those down? But after this, I definitely want to check it out. Um, I also love the origin story of this movie. So, okay, the director, who by the way, is just very fun to watch. If you're interested in behind the scenes stuff, there's some great uh clips with him out right now. So he and his wife moved into an apartment building in Russia and realized that they were the only people in the building under 65. And they just started joking that it was like a Rosemary's baby situation waiting to happen. Like, ooh, what if one day we wake up and our neighbors will be standing around our bed in robes, you know, some sort of satanic cult or something. And then when they were renovating their place, they discovered that there was actually a hidden passageway from their kitchen to their neighbor's apartment. So they realized that people could have gotten in if they wanted to. So I think that's such a fun um way to start a story. And you see little aspects of that throughout. Yeah, I I thought it was great, you know, and I think it's more of a vibes over plot kind of movie. And I mean that as a compliment. You know, the story itself is pretty simple, but what's their works. I think the opening's a perfect example. Basically, you see that in a past situation, Asia wanted to stand up for someone and couldn't fully do what she wanted to for them. And I think that that really sort of informs what we see going forward once she gets to the hotel. And it's just like a little glimpse of her past life, but I think sort of like in John Wick, the way they show you his past with his wife prior to the shit hitting the fan. It sort of sets the stage, lets you know, hey, this is a good person, this is what they have at stake. So I thought that was cool. And character-wise, I like that Asia isn't just like a fearless action hero because she has that conflict, but she is incredi I mean, just I can't stop saying badass. She is so badass. You know, and Zazzy is beats is so good. She carries the movie physically, emotionally. You totally buy her journey. You get why she is willing to just fight anyone and anything that gets in her way. She is ready for this. And then there's Patricia Arquette, who is, I swear to God, she's having the time of her life. She was chewing the scenery in the best possible way, like fully over the top, fully committed. And I think that really works for the movie. And like you said, the building itself, the Virgil, is really great design. It feels weirdly out of time, like a little worn down. You can really see scuffs on the wall, little things here and there, but it's still clearly high-end. And the people who live there seem to be very high class. And I think that makes it kind of unsettling in a really specific way. And I really enjoyed the costumes as well, especially the domestic workers' uniforms, which feel like a throwback to a time that I don't think we want to live in anymore. But they're stylish and they just make you think of what was happening at the times when they were wearing uniforms like this. And then I mean, oh my God, the movie really shines with the practical effect. So the gore is pretty stylized. It's not realistic at all. Um, it's almost like a tribute to classic horror. And so, you know, if you're someone who's squeamish, I think that this could still be okay for you because it feels very designed and heightened. I thought the action and cinematography were really inventive too. There are these like impossible feeling overhead shots, things happening in tunnels, various corners of the building. You get to see the full building in a really interesting way. One thing I really appreciated, there's one moment that I found was really inventive where you're watching someone chase another character, but the way they shoot it is so that the camera is facing the person who's making chase, but the camera is moving as well. So it almost gives you the effect as if you are moving away and you're being chased.

SPEAKER_03 32:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

I thought that was really visceral and very cool. Um, and yeah, I gotta talk about stunts, gotta do it. You know, they're incredible. Uh there's a sequence that's in the trailer, so I feel okay mentioning it. There's a flaming axe sequence that is so beautifully done. It just keeps on escalating, you know, it's bigger, more intense, more ridiculous. And it's all done with real fire. They didn't use any CGs, then you've got the music, and I think you can really feel it. And I got a shout-out. They filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, and it's a South African stunt team headed by stunt coordinator Carrie Gregg, who worked on Chappie and Monster Hunt. Oh, cool. Yeah, and then it's got fight coordinator Russ McCarroll, who you know he's got the goods because he actually was a stunt double for Tony Ja in Monster Hunt.

SPEAKER_03 33:01

Oh.

TV Episode Recap: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters - S2E5 - "Furusato"

SPEAKER_01 33:02

And I just think the choreography across the board is really, really well done, really varied. Um, and it makes the action feel super dynamic and alive. And I hope they get recognition when it's time for the Taurus Stunt Awards, which is the Oscars of the stunt world, because I, you know, I see a lot of action movies, and I think there's some really inventive stuff in here. Um, so yeah, overall, I think the movie's like heightened, stylized, touching camp, more like a retro feeling, I think. Oh, and I have to mention the director apparently has a background in physics. He was getting to go into that field, which I think is hilarious because as I read in a really great interview with him in the Hollywood Reporter, the reporter pointed out, hey, it's interesting that you studied physics because none of your stunts obey the laws of physics. Everything is heightened and over the top. Um just exaggerated, creative. It feels like a throwback to older action and horror movies. And I just really enjoyed it. So I guess I'll go uh into my scores here for enjoyment. It's a four. I loved it. I think this is one of the ones where I turned to you and said, I love it while we were watching it. Um for quality, I gave it a 3.5. I think the only reason I didn't go the same as my enjoyment is just because there are some aspects that would have been cool to explore a little bit further in terms of the themes. Maybe a little bit about class and race. Because one of the things, once Asia reached the residents and meet the other people who work there, you realize that they're all women of color. There's no white people working there. And that's very notable. I mean, maybe it's something they wrote and they took out, but I would have liked to have seen just a little bit more of that exploration of class and race. But overall, really loved it. Totally my kind of movie. So yeah, I really recommend it. And also, I do have a couple of recommendations. So if this is your vibe, I'd recommend seeing the Thai film Chocolate, which is directed by a director of Ongbok, and it features JJ Yanin, who's a really, really amazing stunt martial artist. I would also recommend the Korean film The Villainous with Kim Ok Ben, which has really standout choreography and like non-stop intensity. Oh my god. Sush, I can watch movies like this like all day. I love it. So yeah, that's they will kill you. All right, Sush, what do we have going on in TV?

SPEAKER_02 35:57

For Monarch Legacy of Monsters, we're on episode five of season two. Oh. Titled Furasado. We start the episode with the flashback storyline. The year is 1990, and we're in a waiting room in the hospital. He panned to an adult Hiroshi speaking to a young Kate over the phone. Turns out he's at the hospital for Kentaro's birth. Later in the episode, as far as flashback storyline goes, uh, we're in 2014 actually, and Hiroshi receives a call from Tim about all the stuff that they found of Bills, uh, basically just saying like he has to come back to Washington, DC. He was on the way to see his family in Tokyo, but obviously he just turns around and DC. As far as the modern day storyline goes, we catch up with dad following the opening credits, uh, picking up at the moment where Hiroshi finds Keiko's letter to Lee. Needless to say, the family drama is incredibly complex, even without considering their problems dealing with space-time and titans. Hiroshi is angry at Keiko, reasoning that her secret love for Lee was what drove Bill to abandon him as a child. In Santa Soledad, Southern Chile, we see Brenda arriving in Apex Jeep and Korra's along for the ride. Apex is already set up base in expectance of the arrival of Titan X. We get some clarity regarding Korra's involvement with Apex as she questions Brenda about whether she thinks they can actually control the Titan, to which she confidently confirms as long as Korra does her job. We cut back to Hiroshi pacing around outside after his argument with his mother. Lee approaches him and tries to get him to stop blaming his family and start realizing how amazing they are for helping him finally rescue Keiko from Axis Mundy, how fortunate he should feel, and how he should especially be able to understand his mother's situation, being in love with two people given his own history. On Outpost 18 in the command center, Tim is in hot water as he's dealing with a frustrated director, Barris, over a video call. Tim tries to convince him that Apex has been intentionally misleading them in order to exclude Monarch from interfering with their operation to control Titan X, and says Lee and Keiko have identified Santa Soledad as the actual next destination on Titan X's migratory path. Barris is initially hesitant to back Tim, but eventually agrees to do so as long as they can get him some solid evidence. The Randas and Lee are on a cargo plane to Santa Soledad as things have become awkward on this family reunion following the fallout between Keiko and Hiroshi. But luckily, Kate breaks the silence, asking Keiko if she wants to talk about it. She replies that she'd rather talk about her as she walks over by Kate to join her, and Kentaro Kate explains the experience that she had in San Francisco hearing Titan Next, with Keiko occasionally peering over to check on Hiroshi sitting alone and sulking. Though Hiroshi is upset, he still can't seem to not eavesdrop as Lee re-enters and lets them know that they'll be arriving in Santa Soledad soon. Kentaro asks why Apex is going there now, given that based on Bill's research, that would make them six years early. However, Keiko reveals that activating the Suzuki device brought it out of Axis Mundy ahead of schedule, and now Apex are heading to Santa Soledad in order to presumably test their Titan control device. And Lee thinks they're up to something, given how much secrecy is surrounding their plans. As the Randas make it to Santa Soledad and navigate through a forest, we see that elsewhere Jason Trisop is meeting with Brenda. She wants an update, but instead he informs her that Lee and the rest of them have been seen during a sweep of the shore, and in turn, she tasks them with ensuring that they don't make it to their camp. Soon after, we see that the Randas approach the peak of some hills overseeing the Apex camp. We see Korra wandering through the remains of the town that used to worship Titan X as a sea god, and she's with Brenda. Apparently, Brenda still assumes the Randas are on their way to try to stop Apex and as their friend, Korra is salting them somehow. Korra clarifies that she doesn't need them to convince her of how quote dangerous and reckless and stupid what Apex is doing is, but that she chose to work with them because she does think that it's going to work somehow. The Randas break into a house in an abandoned monarch camp that was previously used to track Titan X. Just outside of where Apex has set up camp. Keiko discovers Hiroshi's drawing from when he was a child, revealing that Billy had stayed in the same house at some point. As she starts crying and Lee heads over to comfort her, Hiroshi leaves the house with Keiko soon noticing and heading outside to find him standing and staring out to the water. Keiko initially thinks that he's still angry with her, but Hiroshi reveals that while he initially was, he actually has felt relieved because he finally realized that it wasn't him that disappointed his dad and caused him to leave. Hiroshi caps off the moment, agreeing to own his own mistakes and let her own her own as well. Back on Outpost 18, we see their approaching Santa Celeda as they detect something on the radar, which ends up being Titan X. It passes them by and Tim says they won't make it in time and to alert Lee at the Apex camp. Brenda is on the phone to update her superiors on the operation and reassures them she'll have something to report soon. Meanwhile, Korra meets with the Randas and Kate confronts her for helping Apex, eventually leading to Korra becoming frustrated, believing that they can't see she's helping them for quote good reasons and storms out. Lirandas and Lee eventually realize that Apex is likely being secretive because whoever has the technology to control the Titans will inevitably be able to use them as a weapon, likely to be sold to the highest bidder. Titan X approaches and Lee and the others head out to try to stop Apex's operation, but unfortunately he's unable to stop the drone from being launched as a swarm of scarabs approaches and heads towards the shore. Arandas manage to get to safety, and after the swarm passes by, they find Lee outside with an injured leg, but otherwise alive and well. As Kentaro and Hiroshi help him indoors, Kate remains outside hearing the call from Titan X. She seems hypnotized by the sound again, slowly following it to the shore. In the abandoned house, Hiroshi realizes Kate isn't with them and rushes out to search for her, eventually finding her at the edge of the water. As this is happening, an apex drone flies overhead toward the Titan. Hiroshi calls to Kate, but she doesn't seem to hear as she continues to walk onto the pier and eventually comes face to face with Titan X. Once again, all parties experience their respective worst-case scenarios. Apex manages to shoot Titan X with the control device. However, they only manage to get it on its tentacles and not the body, which just angers Titan X as it once again changes from a cool blue to an angry red glow. Cora is regretting her decision, it seems, as everything is going wrong with Apex's operations, and Brenda just yells at her to fix it. But unfortunately for Apex, they fucked around by not committing the proper time to testing this technology before rolling. It out and now they're finding out what exactly happens when you don't get things right when it comes to Titan stuff.

SPEAKER_00 44:07

Aye.

SPEAKER_02 44:08

Keiko realizes Hiroshi's no longer in the house, and as she, Lee, and Kintaro head outside to find him. They see him trying to rescue Kate from a Titan X that's getting worked up after getting shot by the apex dart. Unfortunately, they don't get there before Titan X again. Thrasha is about along the shore. After Titan X passes through, we see Kate recover and find Hiroshi, who's been badly injured. She shouts to the rest of them to get help as Kentaro heads out to do so, and Keiko cares for Hiroshi. Unfortunately, as they share a heartfelt moment as a family singing the song Keiko sang to him, and he sang to Kate, he passes away. We see Tim and Monarch arrive just in time to see all the damage, and they rush to save who and what they can. As this is happening, we see Trisop taking off in a Jeep with something he managed to sneak out of the camp earlier. Shortly after, Kintaro arrives at the camp to find help for his father. Unfortunately, by the time he returns to the rest of them, he finds that his dad has passed. Keiko and Kate still embracing him as he stares blankly, and the episode ends. Ashley, what'd you think?

SPEAKER_01 45:30

I mean, this episode honestly really worked for me. You know, I think it's fully now leaned into what the show, I don't know if it was what it was supposed to be about, but it's basically become about generational trauma than monsters, you know, or the monster of generational trauma, perhaps.

SPEAKER_03 45:50

Right.

SPEAKER_01 45:51

Um, and I think that there's just really good writing and acting all around to this episode. Like we already knew that Hiroshi had a double life, but the way that they show the oh my god, I get emotional thinking about it. The way they show the impact of that on his kids really makes it hit. I mean, seeing him singing to young Kate who misses her dad desperately and can't sleep, and he's trying to comfort her, and he's doing that while he's in the hospital for the birth of his son, you know, seeing that kind of uh betrayal of the children, just how he's really hurt these tiny people who just want nothing then for him to be there. And uh, it isn't just adult drama, it's damage that's been baked into these kids from the start. And I think it makes all the choices that he makes and that everyone else makes in the family feel heavier. I like that that part of the episode then connects back to his own past, cutting from that to him reading his mother's letter and then Kentaro realizing that his dad was probably just trying to fill that abandonment hole and go off and search things. It sort of clicks to him, I think. You can understand why he's like that, but at the same time, but that doesn't make it okay. And I think that they explore that idea really throughout the whole episode. I think the Keiko and Hiroshi stuff was really strong with him trying to deflect at first about the letter. He's upset, then he's like, oh, it doesn't matter. But then he finally admits that Bill knew about the affair and that's why he left. And then realizing that Bill didn't leave because he wasn't uh see, this makes me feel feelings. A monster show is making me feel feelings, but that he didn't leave as Hiroshi worried because he wasn't Bill's quote real son, you know, that's what he thought all these years. And you can just feel that weight come off of him. And then you pair that with Keiko owning her own guilt, and it feels like they're finally being honest about the past instead of hiding it. And then on the Titan side, first of all, I'm really not sold on code controlling monsters, but this is what we've been dealt. But uh, I think Kate's connection to them is just so compelling. Like the way she describes the vibrations as a song, and that she seems to feel what they're feeling, which I think is really more interesting than any of the tech stuff. And the glowing Titan moments amazing, you know. Seeing the connection that she has with Titan X was really powerful. Um, and then the end wrecked me, of course. When I was watching it this morning before work, he came over and held my hand and said, I'm preparing you. And I was like, damn it, someone's so I did have I did have uh a little bit of warning, and I thought it was gonna be Shaw because that's what the typical TV show thing is.

SPEAKER_02 49:04

He did that with him last season, right?

SPEAKER_01 49:07

Exactly, exactly. And and here's the thing story-wise, dramatically, killing Hiroshi makes complete sense for sure because he is at the center of all the relationships in this show, you know, his father, his mother, his kids-I don't know what you would call what jaws to him, his all of it, and everyone loves him. So for him to die causes the most possible damage and drama in the show. Yeah, and and ultimately it's not fun sometimes, but that's that the point of drama is for big, impactful life changing things to happen. And I think it was beautiful the way they started with him singing to Kate with a song that Keiko had sung to him. And then oh God, having them sing it to him when he's dying was it was brutal, but it was really beautiful. And his performance of that scene was I mean, just great. Right before they start singing, he's talking to Kate about his regrets and talking about how he just wishes he had more am I gonna get choked up here? How he wishes he had more moments with her, and then when they're singing to him and he's listening, he is so completely taking in everything. You can just see that he's trying to have one last moment with his daughter. And then, of course, Kentaro wasn't there, so he missed it, and that's even more of a gut punch.

SPEAKER_04 50:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:50

So yeah, shout out to the actors and the writers. I think they really did a great job here. I think the monster stuff's still there. I'd love to see some more building in the next couple episodes of what's going on with Kate and her connection to them. But I think that's intriguing. I'm really curious to see what Cliff Curtis's character stole, because I'm sure that's gonna come up again. So yeah, overall, great just family drama in a monster show this week.

unknown 51:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:25

What do you think, Sue?

SPEAKER_02 51:28

I don't have a lot of notes as far as my reactions to this episode. I think just because uh, well, I feel like there was significantly more emotional family stuff.

SPEAKER_00 51:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:39

Where so much of the expression wasn't conveyed through actual actions. It was just like looks or like things that you can kind of feel because you have context from previous situations they've been in, or you know their personality at this point. But I mean, I obviously have some thoughts about everything regarding that stuff, but I feel like I tend to have less to say when it's an episode where there seems like the viewers just being asked to feel instead of watch all the cool visuals on the screen.

SPEAKER_04 52:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:09

With that said, though, I really did enjoy this episode, even with it ending with the death of a major character. The entire emotional journey that the Randa family goes on during this episode is really a roller coaster, but also I swear, some of the best TV I've seen ever in my life. I know I joke about the show I was needing at least one character dealing with some serious problems, but man, I think it's really been true so far this season. Uh we finally witnessed the death of a major character, R.A.P. Hiroshi, and just when it seemed like everyone finally either confronted him or did something to make him confront all the feelings he's been repressing, and he was getting somewhere with all that. Of course, this happens.

SPEAKER_00 52:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 52:55

So now Kate, Keiko, and Kintaro are suffering because of his death in the midst of everything going on with Titan X. Beyond that, the whole thing with Cora questioning whether Code was really the key to being able to gain control over the Titans, all that was really amusing, especially given that we know Mecha Godzilla doesn't go well for Apex in the future. Yeah. Because if you remember, that happens uh later on in the timeline, because the show takes place in 2015, right now.

SPEAKER_00 53:28

Right, I think.

SPEAKER_02 53:30

Yeah. Also, I thought we went through enough with her character last season for me to assume that we'd feel more assured as far as who she's going to ally with Monarch and the Randas or Apex. But the only thing we can probably assume is just that she's going to side with whoever aligns best with their beliefs.

SPEAKER_03 53:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:52

You know? We definitely see that in this episode because Kate argues back with Kate, even though they're supposed to be friends or whatever.

SPEAKER_04 54:00

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 54:02

Man, I know I've talked a lot about how awesome the Titans look on this show, but I also gotta say they haven't skimped on the vehicles either. This episode, we actually get a cool shot of the outside of Outpost 18 with all the details and uh the complexity that went into it. Again, I gotta assume it's VFX and again the Mac Pros at work.

SPEAKER_00 54:28

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 54:29

Overall, I thought the acting in this episode from all of our leads was phenomenal. However, with the passing of Hiroshi and Apex's operation to control Titan X, a failure. I'm hoping that we'll move on to being faced with other Titans and threats because it at least feels like this part of the season dealing with Titan X specifically has come to a close. I'm not saying it feels like we'll never see Titan X again, but it feels like a natural end to the story arc for the season, especially combined with Hiroshi's passing. Uh specifically, I hope we continue to see some sort of progression of Apex continuing to kind of refuse to heed any warnings in order for them to kind of come in line with their future where they create mega godzilla. So yeah, very different uh feel to this episode compared to the ones earlier in the season, but good nonetheless.

TV Episode Recap: Daredevil: Born Again - S2E2 - "Shoot the Moon"

SPEAKER_01 55:26

Yeah, and I just hope next week I won't cry at the episode. Yeah. Actually, I don't mind. Sush, what do we have going on in the world of Daredevil born again?

SPEAKER_02 55:44

Well, we had two episodes. Let's kick it off with uh season two, episode two, titled Shoot the Moon. The episode opens with someone spray painting Daredevil's newly revealed red DD logo across the city, signaling how quick his return has captured public attention. In the immediate aftermath of this attack at Cherry's apartment, he survives and is rushed into the hospital, though another ambulance carries away the body of a dead AVTF officer, apparently killed by bullseye. Bullseye resurfaces in an unexpected place, Matt Murdoch's church, where he's found standing at the altar in a shot from behind where he could easily be mistaken for Matt. Poindexter speaks with a priest in training and hits hints at resentment over Fisk and Vanessa's betrayals, suggesting that he may be questioning his allegiances. Fisk, meanwhile, is shown training for a boxing match when Buck updates him on the AVTF casualties. A misguided attempt at tough love from Fisk's trainer ends violently as Fisk punches him through a mirror, reinforcing both his volatility and unchecked power. Karen confirms Cherry's stable condition and with Matt begins plotting their next move against Fisk. They decide they must locate the first mate from the Northern Star and seek information from Ariana, the restaurant owner in Astoria, only to cut immediately to the AVTF raiding her restaurant and arresting her. At City Hall, Buck urges Fisk to publicly expose Daredevil's identity, but Fisk opts for something more insidious. Instead, he declares Matt Murdoch a missing hero, plastering his face across the city via posters, broadcasts, and social media. The move forces Matt into the spotlight, both in and out of costume, leaving him and Karen with nowhere to hide. Around the same time, Pal meets privately with Fisk, proves his loyalty once again, and is instructed to check in on Cherry at the hospital. He later agrees to reinstate an injured but zealous Cole North to the AVTF when he unexpectedly appears following his meeting with Fisk. Two AVTF officers attempt to reach Cherry at the hospital, only to discover his room heavily guarded by fellow detectives and other uniformed officers. After mocking the situation in the elevator, uh the AVTF officers are ambushed and brutally killed, stabbed through the tops of their skulls as Bullseye descends from the ceiling in full costume. When Powell and other AVTF officers show up, Cherry has already been moved. Vanessa begins taking her safety into her own hands as she tries to choose the right handgun despite Buck's reassurances. Later, she and Fisk are sharing a tense moment that hints at growing distance between them as Vanessa is faced with whether there's any limit to Fisk's ambition. Matt and Karen observe a recovered northern starshipman and it appears innocuous, loaded with diapers. But Matt suspects it's a decoy. Later that night, they confirm weapons are being secretly moved as Karen questions whether stopping the transfer is worth the risk. They eventually both realize they're out of options. Elsewhere, Angela, White Tiger's niece, witnesses her aunt being violently detained by the AVTF during a neighborhood incident. Residents gather and start taking videos of the incident, highlighting rising resentment towards the task force. Angela later seeks help from Kirsten and notices her uncle's White Tiger costume and amulet, subtly foreshadowing a legacy potentially being passed on to her. Bullseye continues stalking Vanessa from afar while Daniel struggles to confront Bibi regarding the expose videos. Fisk separately intimidates Daniel, making it clear he already knows about the leak. The episode winds down with Karen and Matt hiding out at Josie's bar as Cherry's detective friends stop by to check in on her, give her an update on Cherry, and encourage her to resist and rebel. Another mere kingpin video airs, finally revealing BB as the mastermind person who's in costume. Vanessa suffers a nightmare involving Point Dexter, while Matt and Karen share a brief tender moment before the AVTF descends on the neighborhood. Daredevil fights them off, allowing their escape. But the episode ends with the final twist. Karen has captured one of the AVTF officers. Ashley, what'd you think of this episode?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:55

Wow. I think episode two did a really good job of building tension and reminding you how scary this world is. Like, first off, uh, the bullseye elevator moment where he pops down from the top of an elevator, stabs these two dudes in the soft spot. That was crazy.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:17

Just the way that they shot it was so perfect because it's like you see the panel moving, so you know that it's gotta be him because who else would be sneaking up on two caps? I mean, you could be Daredevil, but let's be real here. Uh, and then all you see is them talking, but all we see as the viewer is the shot of the outside of the elevator door on the floor they're heading to, and they're talking all of a sudden, like the conversation just abruptly stops, the doors open, they collapse, the point dexter drops down. It's so good. I watched it at least three times when I was doing my rewatches. Like, holy shit, it's just so good. Like it was incredible once they have everything happen. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:05

Now, on the downside, I have a new fear unlocked, you know? Yeah, looking at the top of those elevators differently.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:12

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:14

Oh man. But yeah, I think what really stood out to me is Fisk and the way he operates. Like when he frames it like Daredevil took Matt Murdoch, I thought that was so smart because it plays both sides. People who already hate Daredevil are motivated to turn him in, and people who care about Matt are now actively looking for him. So it's just a clean example of how Fisk controls the narrative without even needing to get his hands dirty. You start to feel that there's this bigger system forming around him, especially with the AVTF. And the parallels they're drawing to real-world law enforcement or enforcement is pretty hard to ignore. And it honestly, it just made me sad that something that uh a comic book supervillain is doing is not that different from our current world. But I think that's what makes Daredevil such uh unique and great comic book to adapt and adds a layer where it's not just crime and superheroes, there's something that feels a little more grounded and unsettling going on. And just a couple other highlights for me. I really like the scene where Daniel and Bibi had dinner. He invites her over. And yes, he's trying to be romantic. We know he's got a crush, but he's basically warning her without directly saying it. And you can kind of feel how dangerous it is to even be adjacent to what's going on, especially once you see how Fisk reacts when he even suspects that something's off. And you see how Daniel knows right away that you have to just uh quickly prove your loyalty. So he's gonna be conflicted there because he clearly knows that something's up with BB. Oh, side note, I don't know. You thought I wasn't right, but I feel like Vanessa and Buck have some sort of vibe going on.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:18

It's like the BFF thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:20

She is sort of a sultry, powerful woman. So, you know, I could be misreading. But overall, I think episode two feels like it's tighten the screws. It ends with that amazing thing where you realize that they've kidnapped one of the AVTF guys. And I'm sure we'll talk about in episode three, but it it makes a lot of sense to me that they released these two episodes the same time because they really sort of tell one story. But yes, I I really enjoyed it. What do you think?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:53

I found it kind of funny how soon after Daredevil reappeared that people started spray painting his red DD logo around the city. Like, seriously, has it really been seen that clearly in news footage? Because damn, it's been almost a day maybe since he appeared with it for the first time in the MCU, so that was kind of wild. I really like what they're doing with the Bullseye character on this show, though. And I love the updates that I feel are at least paying homage to the comic book iteration. As a comic book reader, I know he's one of Daredevil's top villains, but I've never found Bullseye particularly interesting because I've always felt like he lacked any complexity as a villain and was just known for repeatedly fucking over Daredevil on a personal level, or at least trying to. But on the TV show, I think they've really made him interesting by making him the ultimate marksman whose decision making is at times overtaken by his mental illness, but who ultimately has enough of a code to be willing to save the life of someone who you'd think you would have more beef with.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:00

True.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:00

I mean, sure, it's a little weird, but I'm definitely looking forward to their next face-to-face interaction because of stuff like this. And at the end of the day, dude still killed Foggy. So you know Matt won't be able to completely let this guy off the hook, even if the guy did end up saving his life. Well, I do think that Marvel Studios kind of downplayed how cunning and strategic Fisk has been as a character since the character was brought over from Netflix. I mean, you can't deny that he was brought down by some of Marvel Studios' least popular characters, uh namely Echo and Hawkeye Clint Barton. I think it almost made me a bit surprised when he decides to deal with Matt, Daredevil on two fronts, by making it nearly impossible for him to not be noticed, both when he's on costume as Matt and when he's dressed as Daredevil by labeling as a criminal. I was gonna say, I don't know if people in real life who are so close to someone with as much power as Fisk are typically as dumb as Daniel is. But then I remembered we live in a world with the Epstein files and the Sony Pictures Entertainment. Yeah. Where we found out that powerful people are dumb as hell when it comes to assuming that anything they say or do on a corporate network isn't potentially being monitored, recorded, or stored in some way. Yeah. I do think that one of the things on the show that does bother me or started bothering me a little bit was that they introduced characters like Daniel, who over this time working for Fisk demonstrates how loyal but stupid he is and becomes the obvious weak link among the antagonists. And the whole situation with BB, who you know, because of his attraction to her, likely won't commit to doing what he really should do, which is tell Fisk she's responsible for the anonymous style social media posts. That really makes me roll my eyes. Like, sure, I think most average people would likely find Daniel's character likable, at least on a personal level. But if you're Fisk and you're running a criminal organization that's managed to covert covertly take over the city of New York, would you really let something like that cloud your judgment and allow someone as noticeably dumb as Daniel continue to work for you? I don't know, man. But I kind of like Vanessa and Buck's budding friendship and their moment this episode bonding over gun selection.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:34

Yeah, I like that.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:36

You were saying you thought it was more sexual attraction or something, but I definitely saw it more as future BFFs kind of thing. Like talking guns and like knowing Buck, it seems like one of his favorite things. Uh I think one of the other things that kind of bothers me about the show, I am starting to feel like it's really just trying to say something about current events in a specific party or leaning. Like I honestly wouldn't have been as bothered by it if Fisk didn't pretty much immediately implement martial law after becoming mayor, and the related events following it didn't just happen so quickly in succession. We get the woman on the street interviews, which serve as propaganda for the Fisk administration, some anonymous type revolution starting, AVTF over policing and basically kidnapping people of color in secret prisons where enemies of the powerful are being held. It's a bit much, and this is coming from a person of color that leans left on social justice issues. With that said, I also do enjoy and realize that it's likely in order to provide contrast for all the moments where they show other police and everyday New Yorkers covertly fighting back against everything that's happening. The only thing that's frustrating is a lot of these people fighting back are very obvious with their involvement, which I suppose is okay for those who are in hiding, but for people like BB and police resisting this influence, you just know it's not going to end well for them.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:11

One thing I'll probably never complain about with this show though is the fight choreography.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:16

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:17

We get another great extended sequence of Matt taking out an entire team of AVTF agents.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:24

So good.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:25

The sliding he does during the parts in the bar was dope.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:30

It was so cool, guys.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:33

But yeah, even if it does seem like I had a lot to complain about from this episode overall, I do think it was really good. Sometimes I just have to remember the source material for this stuff is comic books, which admittedly is another medium that really does comment a lot about society and whenever they're written in. And for a long time, we're written for younger audiences that probably don't care as much for nuance. So it makes sense. The good part is that the show is just so fun as far as the action goes, the acting is solid. And yeah, I can totally admit to being one of those fans that's just grateful for the medium of comic books that I love so much as a preteen, becoming popular ongoing medium.

unknown 1:11:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:20

And as audiences have gotten used to superhero films, it's allowed the creators to take more of the elements from the comics and bring them on screen. And I can't ever be upset about that.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:32

So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:36

Okay, moving on to season two, episode three, The Scales and the Sword. The episode opens with the AVTF enforcing martial law across the city. Uh Karen brings Matt to meet Alan, the AVTF officer she captured, who offers his help. Using Alan's key card, Matt gains access to Red Hook, but only until midnight, uh, which is when she was told the codes changed. Heather, still traumatized by her encounter with Muse, is shown at home struggling to regain composure, eventually hinting at a possible transformation as she stares at Muse's mask. On her way to the courthouse, Kirsten crosses paths with Heather. Both defend their causes, but Kirsten warns that Fisk isn't the solution. At Red Hook, Cole North, now back with the AVTF, escorts a blindfolded Kirsten to see Jack Duquesne, the first defendant in the vigilante trials. Jack reveals Fisk's attempt to coerce him into a court investment, which he refused, landing him in Fisk's secret prison. Kirsten realizes Fisk could seize Jack's assets if he's proven to be the swordsman, though the DA lacks proof. Meanwhile, Karen and Matt hide out, with Karen anxious about their safety and whether the governor received her findings on the port of Red Hook. The governor is shown receiving the documents and confronting Fisk about the negative optics of the Northern Star shipwreck, threatening to revoke Red Hook's free port status. Karen and Matt struggle to devise a plan beyond destroying the weapons found on the Northern Star, with Karen deeply concerned for Matt's safety. Elsewhere, Buck visits Daniel, who is preparing for the governor's dinner. Their witty banter eventually ends with Buck adding to the existing pressure on Daniel to uncover the source of the Mayor Kingpin videos. A new Mayor Kingpin video airs, chronicling recent events surrounding Fisk's administration and the AVTF. In court, Kirsten's request for more time to defend Duquesne is denied under the Safer Streets Initiative, and Duquesne is found guilty on all charges as Fisk watches and celebrates with his team from his office. Damn. At the governor's dinner, Vanessa seats Heather with Buck, possibly to play matchmaker. Buck and Heather bond over their shared distrust of others, observing the political maneuvering in the room. Back at Red Hook, Powell oversees the transfer of cargo from the Northern Star and orders the crew back to the boat, refusing to pay or let them leave until they return from delivering the load. Kirsten is drowning her sorrows at a bar after a courtroom loss as Karen, in disguise, secretly leaves a note to meet at her office, where Daredevil asks for help navigating Red Hook. Despite her doubts, due to being forced to wear blackout goggles, Kirsten's retracing of her steps proves useful. Daredevil infiltrates Red Hook using Alan's keycard and Kirsten's recollections to navigate. He frees Duquesne and the other prisoners, fighting off AVTF officers as they escape. Outside, Karen encounters Angela, White Tiger's niece, who has stealthily aided the escape by stealing AVTF equipment. As Daredevil and the prisoners attempt to flee, they're ambushed by Powell and AVTF agents. Karen and Angela arrive with a transport to help the prisoners escape, and has Jack drive them away in it, as Daredevil and Karen provide cover and eventually escape themselves. Paul attempts to pursue but discovers their Humvees have had their tire slash, which they have Angela to thank for, as we see her putting away her uncle White Tiger's knife. Fisk, informed of the escape, orders the Northern Star to be destroyed with the crew still aboard. As Karen and Matt drive away, they witness the explosion, realizing Fisk has killed the crew to cover his tracks as the episode ends. Ashley, what'd you think about this one?

SPEAKER_01 1:15:53

Oh man, that ending. I mean, episode three is where I think all the setup that we've been getting is starting to pay off. Right away, it starts after Karen took a pretty big swing trying to get answers and took a hostage, which I think shows how far she's willing to go. And that leads into one of my okay, one of my favorite Daredevil moments in this episode is when he's interrogating the guy, yelling at him, cursing out, like, and he's lying. But then he goes to Karen, he's telling the truth. Right, because he can hear his heart.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:27

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:28

Uh I love that kind of stuff because sometimes you forget that he has these amazing powers. They lean so much into the fighting stuff, which is amazing. But it's cool all the different ways he uses his, I don't know, blind echo location, I guess. I don't know if there's a name for it. But that was cool. And I think the biggest thing for me though is how intense everything gets with the detainment and the escape. Seeing that people being held like that was awful. And so many people, all different kinds of people. It's just like, ugh, it's horrible. And again, parallels to real world systems, we've got that going on. And then the whole escape sequence is probably the standout of both episodes. I thought it was incredible. Like it, there was all kinds of cool, like handheld camera work that really made you feel sort of in the action, kind of like in the best way, in the way that Shaky Cam was intended to be, you know, to give you the feeling of momentum and movement and chaos. But in this show, they still actually show you what's happening. So I thought that was really cool. And Matt's fighting skills are amazing, really fluid, physical, fun to watch. I also like that it wasn't just him doing everything, that other characters had moments to step up, which really makes the whole thing feel bigger than just one guy saving the day. You've got Ducane immediately stepping into action and fighting. You've got Angela, you've got Karen, obviously. So that was really cool. And on the Fisk side, oh he just continues to be terrifying in a really specific way. The part that grossed me out in this episode was the way he reacts when um Duquesne gets found guilty and he's just so happy. And it's like he's happy as if, oh, what a pleasant surprise. When in fact, he's done all these horrible things to get what he wants. You know, it's just disgusting to see. Um, and then the ending, oh my God.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:38

Yeah, that's messed up.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:39

It's so messed up. I really felt something.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:42

Damn you, Matthew Lillard.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:45

You know, Matthew Lillard. Shooting them is one thing, but blowing them up and also drowning them at the same time. Yeah, that is disgusting. That is horrible. And you really feel the shock of the characters when they realize what's happened. And obviously, it looks like I'm guessing Kinpin's gonna blame it all on Daredevil. So that's gonna be horrifying. But yeah, I thought it was a good kind of one-two punch, these episodes. I really get why they dropped them at the same time because three really is a payoff of everything that episode two sets up. It's more action, more movement, higher stakes. And uh, I think it's pushing the story forward in a way that felt really satisfying.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:33

What do you think, Sush?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:35

Overall, I didn't think this episode would be as strong on its own. So yeah, I agree with your comment about the two episodes fitting well together. I think it might also be because when I was watching them separately for rewatch, I felt that they were slightly weak.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:58

Oh, interesting.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:59

Because as separate entries, but together. Yeah, I could see that. Yeah, you couldn't really tell as much, but but that said, I thought the other's spiraling has been interesting. Uh-huh. Obviously, with a lot of the theories going around about her potentially becoming the next muse. Yeah, I really feel that it's building towards it because I don't know if you notice, but in this episode, the way that she looks at the mask, yeah, it gives her stability.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:32

She's all about getting control, I think. Yeah, I can see that too.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:38

Yeah, what else? Oh, the whole AVTF secret prison thing I thought was crazy.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:45

It was, it was really crazy.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:48

It at least doesn't seem like the federal government and the MCU is as messed up as it is in the real world. So it's just crazy that nobody in New York, also living through what Fisk has done lately, wouldn't at least call someone, like the Avengers. Seriously, like not even Spider-Man. Like, where the fuck are all the top-tier heroes at? I mean, this is New York City, not some tiny farm town in the middle of nowhere. It's just amazing that none of them have caught wind of what's going on. I mean, I think this it would be one thing if it was just one day, but it's been a few days now, you know? Yeah, like you think somebody would have showed up. Damn, that's true. The whole scene with the governor meeting with this. I get it's being used to present another situation where we see that someone's trying to push Fisk around, but they end up finding out that he's more cunning than they expect and ultimately underestimate him. But it's just tiring after we basically had the same scene play out in his office in the premiere with the lieutenant governor and the attorney general. How much more reinforcement does Marvel Studios really think we need to get that Fisk as someone that traditional government and criminal organizations both seem to underestimate?

SPEAKER_01 1:22:03

Yeah. It was cool to see uh the actress playing the governor, though. I think it's Lily Taylor, who's a big actress in the 90s. Yeah, I've seen her in 2000s. So that was cool to see her.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:14

But yeah, even though I still think Daniel will be the weak link in Fisk's administration that leads to its downfall, I did like his sales ability, I guess you could call it in this episode. Convincing Buck to eat a hot dog.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:31

Yeah, he's I just got you to eat street meat.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:34

Yeah. It's moments like that that make Daniel really likable, which kind of makes me uneasy because I think he's eventually gonna have a really bad time.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:44

Yeah, but you know, he made his bed.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:48

But exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:49

We'll see.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:50

I really enjoyed the secret prison rescue, obviously. Oh my god, it was so cool. And thought it was really clever with the layout of the cells. Because it actually, for me anyway, gave the impression things were tighter and caused a bit of claustrophobia. Because it essentially creates hallways.

unknown 1:23:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:14

You are daredevil in pretty much any of the defenders.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:16

Oh my gosh, we love the hallways.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:20

But I did want to bring up where the fuck was Frank. He was also being kept in one of those cages, remember?

SPEAKER_00 1:23:30

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:31

Yeah, and it looked like it was being held with everyone else. Nowhere specifically off to the side or anything. But they didn't find him during the rescue. So I don't know. Why would the ABTF relocate him and where would he be located to? So that'll be an interesting thing uh for them to reveal. So looking forward to it. Uh been loving the show so far. Yeah. But yeah, looking forward to also only having to write one recap again for this show per week instead of having a surprise.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:03

And we saw the return of the watch from the season premiere.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:07

Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:08

That was cool. I just want Jessica Jones just bring back, bring me my Jessica Jones, please. I hope that's soon. But I'm looking forward to it too.

What We're Watching Next

SPEAKER_02 1:24:17

Cool. Ashley, what are we watching next?

SPEAKER_01 1:24:23

We will be watching the drama and the Super Mario Galaxy movie. Two very different movies.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:30

It's a me. A Mario.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:34

Ooh. Excellent impression.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:36

Well, yeah, for TV, we'll be talking about uh season two, episode six of Monarch, Legacy of Monsters, and season two, episode four. And I made sure to check that there was only one episode of Daredevil Born Again.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:54

Excellent. All right.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:59

Thank you so much for listening. We really appreciate you and hope you had a good time and didn't cry too much in Monarch.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:07

And make sure you subscribe, rate, and review positively if you would be so kind. Uh and follow us on the social medias, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Other than that, thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:24

Thanks.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:25

Bye guys for sticking around for the name change and stuff. Yes. See you guys next week.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:33

Bye.