Agents Of Shield (Season 5)

So, I finally got around to seeing Season 5 of Agents Of SHIELD. The ambitious season where the cast goes to space and discover time travel. Was it worth all the hype? Well, at first it wasn't. But then it absolutely was.

The first half of Season 5 has the Agents sent to a bad future where Quake had destroyed the Earth and much of humanity is kept captive in a Kree station. Despite the interstellar setting, this is very much a dystopian story, and to be perfectly honest, it didn't make much of a good impression for this season. As much as Agents Of SHIELD has changed over the years, it was always a spy show, so the shift to the "dystopian rebellion bad future genre" just didn't work for me, especially considering it's a genre I don't particularly love. The main villain Kasius was pretty generic (especially after Aida), the core location of the Lighthouse was drab and claustrophobic, most of the new characters aside from Deke and Enoch weren't all that interesting, and most of all, this arc was just plain depressing. Skye got sold to slavery, Simmons was made a servant and lost her hearing, the rest of the cast was put to work, the sheer hopelessness of much of this arc was enough to get me to quit that first time around. Not to say the arc didn't gave its good points, I loved the first episode's survival horror vibe, the sole Earth episode was by far the best of the arc, and much of Fitz's stuff was great, but for a while, I was beginning to think that maybe I shouldn't have returned to this show. But then the agents went back to their time...

The second half of Season 5 is amazing. Obviously the Framework arc is hard to top, but this was definitely the second or third best storyline in the series. With the agents back in the present, their primary goal is to stop the aforementioned Bad Future from happening (something I can absolutely get behind), while also stopping General Hale's evil Hydra team. While I'm sure some might get tired of Hydra coming back, it's hard for me to really get all that mad. Hydra is the villain of SHIELD, and their existence always makes the show better. It helps that the antagonists in this part of the season are all great, from the cold General Hale, to the scarily unpredictable Ruby, to General Talbot, who ends up becoming the unstable villain Graviton. You can tell this was meant to be the final season because the arc also brings in past villains (Creel, Ivanov, Werner) and plot points (Centipede, Cybertek) to tie the whole show together. But even more, the character work this arc is outstanding. The drama over trying to stop the bad future from happening is very compelling, especially once it becomes apparent Coulson is going to have to die. The team really starts to get fractured throughout this arc as they all make some really morally grey decisions, most notably Yo-Yo and Fitz, but the drama works better here because it feels more complex, character-driven, and better balanced out by levity (mostly spawned from Deke adjusting to the present).

This season had plenty of great episodes, especially in the second half:

Rewind: The one episode I really loved from the first arc just happened to be the one episode to take place on Earth. While nowhere near as gripping as 4,733 Hours, this was a great Fitz-centric episode as we learn about how he made it to space as well as the general state of Earth at the time. Hale makes an impactful first appearance, and it was so great to finally get to see Hunter again. The stories he told of his time with Bobbi really made me wish we got that spinoff with them.

The Real Deal: I love 100th episodes, it's the perfect time for shows to celebrate their history and deliver a slam dunk of an episode. The Real Deal is a great episode in a lot of ways. The team learns about Coulson dying, the fear dimension is a great way for the characters to face spectres from their past, Deathlok reappears (since he's their first case), and Fitz and Simmons get married. But biggest of all is the crazy twist that Deke is Fitz and Simmons's grandson, ending this grand episode on an even grander note.

The Devil Complex: I can only imagine how controversial this episode must've been when it aired, I'm pretty sure this is the Buffy's Seeing Red of Agents Of SHIELD. It's emotionally exhausting but wow, I was so gripped. The reveal that Fitz is The Doctor was so shocking, and the fact that he went ahead with Daisy's surgery without her consent is even moreso. And if all that wasn't enough, Coulson got captured, Simmons learned Deke was her grandson, and Hale works for Hydra. Just what an episode.

Rise And Shine: I wasn't expecting a straight-up Hydra school, but it made for a really entertaining and surprising backstory for the Hales. It was cool to see past antagonists like Whitehall and Sitwell, and the aforementioned backstory had a lot of great twists and turns. Even better, however, was the scenes between Coulson and General Hale. They played off each other very well and every scene with the two of them was a treat.

All Roads Lead: This episode starts off fairly solid but once Ruby infuses herself with Gravitonium, things just spiral out of control from there. Werner getting his skull crushed was shocking enough, but Yo-Yo abruptly killing Ruby was a stunning twist that left me wondering who the antagonist would be for the rest of the season (it was Talbot).

The End: This is an amazing finale for this season, and it simultaneously works as a series finale and a season finale. I love how it balances being a genuinely action-heavy final battle with Graviton as well as an emotional climax with the discussion over whether or not Coulson should live. It's packed with powerful scenes like Fitz's death, Coulson and May's final scene in Tahiti, and Mack being made director. The End brings the whole series full circle, but the hook about saving Fitz left me excited to see Season 6 nonetheless.

Overall, Season 5 of Agents Of SHIELD is an interesting one for me. The first half was the worst arc in the show since "Real SHIELD", it was claustrophic, depressing, and lacking much of the show's identity. Once the team returned to Earth, however, Season 5 turns into a gripping story about fighting fate that ties all of the show together into a phenomenal character-driven arc that lived up to the high bar set by the Framework. As a whole, I'm glad I finally got around to watching this season. It took a bit to power through that first half, but the second half was just so worth it.

4/5 Stars

Peacemaker (Season 1)

The Suicide Squad is my favorite DCEU movie to date, probably even one of my favorite superhero movies of all time. While I didn't love Peacemaker as a character, I was more than excited to see James Gunn's wacky vision of DC expanded into a full series. And it was excellent!

Peacemaker is a show about the titular character (Christopher Smith) being dragged out of prison to stop a bunch of alien zombie butterflies trying to take over the world. He joins a team with two minor characters from The Suicide Squad, Vigilante, and Amanda Waller's daughter Adebayo, who's mostly just in it to make money. To be perfectly honest, I felt the show got to a bit of a slow start, as the "butterfly" threat wasn't made all that clear and the humor was a bit more hit-or-miss. Once the team actually starts trying to fight the alien butterflies, however, Peacemaker becomes a ton of fun, mostly because of how incompetent much of the cast is. Part of the charm of Peacemaker is seeing the team fail at pretty much everything they try to do, and then get mad at each other for screwing up. It simultaneously makes for great comedy and heightens the stakes by making things worse for the protagonists. 

Despite the bizarre premise, however, Peacemaker is actually a bit of a character study. When the show started, I was still pissed at Smith for killing off Rick Flag in the movie he was introduced in, but the script does a great job of making you understand why Smith does the things he does and even feel for him a bit. His relationship with his horrendously bigoted father makes for some of the most emotional moments in the show. The whole cast is great, though. Adebayo, Harcourt, and Murn are all complex and likable figures, but the big highlight aside from Peacemaker himself is definitely the straight-up sociopathic Vigilante. And while the humor is a bit spotty at first, it does get a lot better. I'm a big fan of those Seinfeld-ian conversations between the team that feel aimless to the point of doubling back over to being hilarious. Peacemaker is also willing to cross the line in some truly great ways. Like yeah, the "Aquaman fucks fish" joke is pretty overdone. But bringing in the entire Justice League just for The Flash to corroborate it was just simply genius. Similarly, the action is incredibly brutal but in a stylish way, not unlike The Suicide Squad or something like Kingsman.

Once Peacemaker gets good, it gets really good. Here are its highlights:

The Title Sequence: So I know this is a bit unconventional, but I had to bring it up somewhere. Peacemaker has the greatest title sequence of any TV show ever (not including anime OPs, those are on another level). Having the entire cast perform a musical number with stone-faced expressions is pure James Gunn and suits the show's tone oddly perfectly. It helps that the song is catchy, the choreography is legitimately impressive, and the opening is shot with so much energy. I usually skip title sequences but I just can't bring myself to do it for this one, it's just too mesmerizing.

Murn After Reading: Through much of the last few episodes, the characters have been keeping secrets from each other, some of which the audience knows and some of which the audience doesn't. Murn After Reading has pretty much all of those secrets revealed leading to the twist-iest episode of the show. Murn is a Butterfly but he's also good, Adebayo's diary is used to frame Peacemaker, and biggest of all, Peacemaker has been keeping Goff alive the whole time and accidentally causes him to hijack Song's body and turn the entire police station into butterflies. 

Stop Dragon My Heart Around: I think the moment I realized this show was amazing was when the last episode (Episode 6 out of 8) wasn't the climax of the series like much of MCU's television output. Murn After Reading was massive and James Gunn still wanted to heighten the stakes, so we get the most emotional episode of the show. Between Murn dying and Smith facing off against and killing his father, Stop Dragon My Heart Around was dark and made for a fantastic set-up for the finale.

It's Cow Or Never: I really don't want to keep trashing on Marvel like this but this is how you nail a finale to a superhero show. It's Cow Or Never pulls out all the stops, from the best action scene in the show (with a badass long take to boot), to some of the best jokes in the series, to surprise appearances from the Justice League and Amanda Waller, to some pretty massive status quo shifts (Harcourt's injury, Adebayo's public statement), to satisfying resolutions for pretty much all of the character arcs.

Overall, Peacemaker was a ton of fun. After a bit of a rough start, the show quickly evolved into a fantastic series with compelling drama, great character work, fun action, and excellent James Gunn humor. And the fact that it actually feels thought-out, cohesive, and has a genuinely satisfying finale makes this pretty much better than every MCU show we had last year.

4/5 Stars

Episode Rankings: FMA Brotherhood

I can't believe I'm saying this, but it took me time to get Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. One of the most beloved anime of all time, and it took two viewings for me to truly appreciate. Because while not my favorite anime of all time, it's a damn good show with amazing characters, a neat and tidy plot, and phenomenal world-building. Here's my list of its episodes:

1. Death Of The Undying (Episode 19)
2. The Other Side Of The Gateway (Episode 63)
3. Father (Episode 28)
4. He Who Would Swallow God (Episode 61)
5. Separate Destinations (Episode 10)
6. The First Homunculus (Episode 37)
7. Flame Of Vengeance (Episode 53)
8. An Alchemist's Anguish (Episode 4)
9. A Fierce Counterattack (Episode 62)
10. Upheaval In Central (Episode 50)
11. Those Who Lurk Underground (Episode 14)
12. Eye Of Heaven, Gateway Of Earth (Episode 60)
13. Inside The Belly (Episode 24)
14. Beyond The Inferno (Episode 54)
15. The Oath In The Tunnel (Episode 48)
16. The Dwarf In The Flask (Episode 40)
17. Rain Of Sorrows (Episode 5)
18. Lost Light (Episode 59)
19. Bite Of The Ant (Episode 43)
20. Reunion (Episode 26)
21. The Immortal Legion (Episode 51)
22. Fillial Affection (Episode 49)
23. Journey's End (Episode 64)
24. Struggle Of The Fool (Episode 29)
25. The Fifth Laboratory (Episode 8)
26. The Abyss (Episode 41)
27. Eternal Leave (Episode 57)
28. Footsteps Of A Comrade-In-Arms (Episode 16)
29. Conflict At Baschool (Episode 38)
30. Girl On The Battlefield (Episode 23)
31. The Promised Day (Episode 45)
32. The Shape Of This Country (Episode 35)
33. Beasts Of Dublith (Episode 13)
34. Combined Strength (Episode 52)
35. The First Day (Episode 2)
36. Cold Flame (Episode 17)
37. Emissary Of Darkness (Episode 47)
38. The Northern Wall Of Briggs (Episode 33)
39. Daydream (Episode 39)
40. Envoy From The East (Episode 15)
41. The Ishvalan War Of Extermination (Episode 30)
42. Sacrifices (Episode 58)
43. Created Feelings (Episode 9)
44. Advance Of The Fool (Episode 21)
45. Family Portrait (Episode 36)
46. Doorway Of Darkness (Episode 25)
47. The Return Of The Fuhrer (Episode 56)
48. One Is All, All Is One (Episode 12)
49. City Of Heresy (Episode 3)
50. Revving At Full-Throttle (Episode 44)
51. The Arrogant Palm Of A Small Human (Episode 18)
52. Backs In The Distance (Episode 22)
53. The Adults' Way Of Life (Episode 55)
54. Hidden Truths (Episode 7)
55. Fullmetal Alchemist (Episode 1)
56. Ice Queen (Episode 34)
57. Father Before The Grave (Episode 20)
58. Looming Shadows (Episode 46)
59. Miracle At Rush Valley (Episode 11)
60. Sings Of A Counter Offensive (Episode 42)
61. The 520 Cens Promise (Episode 31)
62. Road Of Hope (Episode 6)
63. The Fuhrer's Son (Episode 32)
64. Interlude Party (Episode 27)

Episode Rankings: Gravity Falls

Gravity Falls is a fantastic cartoon, with sharp writing, an intriguing myth arc, and brisk pacing. It ends at the perfect time, right before it can overstay its welcome, and its short length makes for a must-watch for animation fans. Here's my ranking of its episodes:

1. Not What He Seems (S2.11)
2. Take Back The Falls (S2.20)
3. Dreamscaperers (S1.19)
4. Northwest Mansion Mystery (S2.10)
5. Society Of The Blind Eye (S2.07)
6. Weirdmaggedon (S2.18)
7. A Tale Of Two Stans (S2.12)
8. Into The Bunker (S2.02)
9. Gideon Rises (S1.20)
10. Scary-oke (S2.01)
11. Bottomless Pit (S1.14)
12. The Time Traveler's Pig (S1.09)
13. Sock Opera (S2.04)
14. Little Gift Shop Of Horrors (S2.06)
15. Dipper & Mabel Vs The Future (S2.17)
16. Boss Mabel (S1.13)
17. Double Dipper (S1.07)
18. Fight Fighters (S1.10)
19. Escape From Reality (S2.19)
20. Soos And The Real Girl (S2.05)
21. The Deep End (S1.15)
22. The Last Mabelcorn (S2.15)
23. The Hand That Rocks The Mabel (S1.04)
24. Dungeons, Dungeons, & More Dungeons (S2.13)
25. Summerween (S1.12)
26. The Golf War (S2.03)
27. Land Before Swine (S1.18)
28. Carpet Diem (S1.16)
29. Tourist Trapped (S1.01)
    
30. Irrational Treasure (S1.08)
31. Little Dipper (S1.11)
32. The Inconveniencing (S1.05)
33. Blendin's Game (S2.08)
34. The Legend Of The Gobblewonker (S1.02)
35. Stanchurian Candidate (S2.14)
36. Dipper Vs Manliness (S1.06)
37. Headhunters (S1.03)
38. Boyz Crazy (S1.17)
39. The Love God (S2.09)
40. Roadside Attaction (S2.16)

Episode Rankings: Fringe

Fringe is a bizarre show, slamming tons of sci-fi tropes together into this distinct blend. While the mythology was intriguing and characters likable, I personally found the show got a bit too ridiculous for its own good, though it was never boring. Here's my ranking of its episodes:   

1. White Tulip (S2.18)
2. Over There: Part 2 (S2.23)
3. Entrada (S3.08)
4. Letters Of Transit (S4.19)
5. Over There: Part 1 (S2.22)
6. Back To Where You've Never Been (S4.08)
7. There's More Than One Of Everything (S1.20)
   
8. Liberty (S5.06)
9. Momentum Deferred (S2.04)
10. Peter (S2.16)
11. Anomaly XB-6783746 (S5.10)
12. Enemy Of My Enemy (S4.09)
13. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (S3.19)
14. Safe (S1.10)
15. The End Of All Things (S4.14)
16. Subject 13 (S3.15)
17. Welcome To Westfield (S4.12)
18. The Plateau (S3.03)
19. Worlds Apart (S4.20)
20. An Enemy Of Fate (S5.13)
21. Ability (S1.14)
22. Marionette (S3.09)
23. Subject 9 (S4.04)
24. The Road Not Taken (S1.19)
25. Brave New World: Part 2 (S4.22)
26. Grey Matters (S2.10)
27. Black Blotter (S5.09)
28. 6:02 AM EST (S3.20)
29. Jacksonville (S2.15)
30. The Abducted (S3.07)
31. And Those We Left Behind (S4.06)
32. A New Day In The Old Town (S2.01)
33. Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11 (S5.01)
34. Everything In Its Right Place (S4.17)
35. Do Shapeshifters Dream Of Electric Sheep? (S3.04)
36. Bad Dreams (S1.17)
37. Olivia (S3.01)
38. Through The Looking Glass And What Walter Found There (S5.06)
39. The Man From The Other Side (S2.19)
40. Bound (S1.11)
41. The Last Sam Weiss (S3.21)
42. Making Angels (S4.11)
43. Of Human Action (S2.07)
44. One Night In October (S4.02)
45. 6B (S3.14)
46. Amber 31422 (S3.05)
47. The Boy Must Live (S5.11)
48. Brave New World: Part 1 (S4.21)
49. The Equation (S1.08)
50. The Consultant (S4.18)
51. The Bullet That Saved The World (S5.04)
52. The Arrival (S1.04)
53. August (S2.08)
54. A Better Human Being (S4.05)
55. Olivia In The Lab With The Revolver (S2.17)
56. The Firefly (S3.10)
57. Novation (S4.05)
58. The Day We Died (S3.22)
59. Neither Here Nor There (S4.01)
60. The Box (S3.02)
61. In Absentia (S5.02)
62. Northwest Passage (S2.21)
63. A Short Story About Love (S4.15)
64. Os (S3.16)
65. The Transformation (S1.13)
66. Midnight (S1.18)
67. In Which We Meet Mr Jones (S1.07)
68. Inner Child (S1.15)
69. 6955 kHz (S3.06)
70. Pilot (S1.01)
71. An Origin Story (S4.05)
72. Bloodline (S3.18)
73. Dream Logic (S2.05)
74. Night Of Desirable Objects (S2.02)
75. The Human Kind (S5.08)
76. Forced Perspective (S4.10)
77. Reciprocity (S3.11)
78. The Dreamscape (S1.09)
79. The Bishop Revival (S2.14)
80. Stowaway (S3.17)
81. Nothing As It Seems (S4.16)
82. Power Hungry (S1.05)
83. The Recordist (S5.03)
84. Concentrate And Ask Again (S3.12)
85. Earthling (S2.06)
86. Wallflower (S4.07)
87. Unleashed (S1.16)
88. Johari Window (S2.12)
89. The Same Old Story (S1.02)
90. Five-Twenty-Ten (S5.07)
91. Fracture (S2.03)
92. Alone In The World (S4.03)
93. The No-Brainer (S1.12)
94. Snakehead (S2.09)
95. Immortality (S3.13)
96. The Cure (S1.06)
97. What Lies Below (S2.13)
98. The Ghost Network (S1.03)
99. Unearthed (S2.11)
100. Brown Betty (S2.20)

Agents Of Shield (Season 4)

Season 4 of Agents Of Shield is amazing. The showrunners made the decision to split it into three separate arcs, which could've made the season feel disjointed, but it works. Everything transitions seamlessly, and the pacing is excellent. This was my favorite Agents Of Shield season that I watched prior to these reviews, and it's still fantastic.

Since this season is divided into three arcs, I'll split up my review accordingly:

The Ghost Rider Arc: The first eight episodes of this season revolve around the Ghost Rider, a really badass superhero whose only other live-action appearance was in the Nicholas Cage films. It's great to finally get to see that character done well, and his struggle with his "devil side" is very compelling. It also parallels Daisy spending much of this arc as a vigilante, pushing herself away from the rest of the team after the events of Season 3, and the dynamic between her and Robbie is great. Meanwhile, there's also a lot of focus put on SHIELD trying to improve their reputation by making an Inhuman their new director, a storyline that stays consistent through the whole season. The new director Jeffrey Mace is a bit annoying for most of this arc but you do warm up to him by the end. Unfortunately, while I do really like the Ghost Rider storyline, it's my least favorite of the three upon rewatch. It gets off to a bit of a slow start, the villains are some of the weakest in the whole show, and the midseason finale is honestly kind of dull. At its best, however, this arc offered some great episodes and a fantastic depiction of the iconic Ghost Rider character.

LMD Arc: I didn't love the LMD arc when I first saw it, but it actually held up really well upon rewatch. The Ghost Rider arc introduces the LMD that Radcliffe built, Aida, who ends up having to read the Darkhold (that evil Doctor Strange book) to save the team. This prompts Radcliffe to want the Darkhold for himself, replacing May with an LMD in an attempt to get it. There's a great sense of paranoia to the whole arc, especially once the show introduces the fact that characters other than May could be LMDs as well, as well as some interesting themes on man vs machine. The stuff regarding SHIELD's reputation is also mostly fantastic, between the reveal that Mace isn't an Inhuman and the stuff with Nadeer. However, I think the arc does start to suffer once it introduces the Superior, the Russian leader of the Inhuman-hating Watchdogs. He's not very compelling at all, and really drags down the season. Thankfully, it all ends on one of the, if not the, best episodes of the whole show, making the whole arc more than worth it.

Framework Arc: But while I like the LMD and Ghost Rider arcs, they don't even come close to the final storyline of the season: The Framework arc. I've expressed my distaste with alternate universe episodes but this is a huge exception, I love this storyline. It's primarily about Daisy and Simmons going into the Framework that Radcliffe and Aida built to save the rest of the team, a virtual reality where everyone's regrets never happened. Unfortunately, those regrets not happened ending up leading to a 1984-esque Hydra-owned hellhole, where May and Fitz are the villains, Ward is a double agent but for SHIELD, and Mack has the daughter he previously lost. Seeing Daisy and Simmons try to survive such an oppressive place is already super gripping (and the political commentary, while not subtle, very much works here), but I especially love how the Framework fits in with everyone's character arcs for the season. Fitz has to deal with feeling like a monster after helping to create Aida, Daisy has to deal with Lincoln's death all over again, Mack has to deal with the loss of his kid, and so on. Despite being an alternate reality, much of the development from the Framework ends up sticking, and the last two episodes taking place back in the real world not only affirms this development but brings together all the previous arcs for one big final battle with Aida. It's just fantastic.

While most of the season was great, these are the highlights. Yes, I know most of them are from the Framework arc:

Tbe Good Samaritan: This episode was a pretty fantastic turning point for the Ghost Rider arc, as it really feels like everything is starting to reach its fever pitch. For starters, Robbie reveals that he's Ghost Rider to his brother, as we finally learn about his backstory. The big confrontation on the Quinjet is tense, the reveal of the true villain was pretty cool, and the big cliffhanger left me stunned when I first watched it.

Deals With Our Devils: I was surprised to find that I liked this one a lot more than when I first watched it, the way it jumps between the perspectives of the team and Fitz, Coulson, and Robbie is really cool. There's also a lot of fantastic plot progression, like Simmons and Fitz reuniting, Aida reading the Darkhold, and Coulson learning that Mace has been colluding with Nadeer.

Self Control: This is an amazing episode, easily the show's best up to this point. With LMDs all over the base, the sense of paranoia is off the charts, and it leads to plenty of electric scenes where the characters just can't trust anyone. The whole episode is filled with legendary scenes, like Fitz and Simmons trying to figure out which of them is the LMD, Daisy blowing Mack to pieces, the Daisy LMDs, LMD May's sacrifice, Radcliffe being killed, and of course, that insane final scene that introduces the Framework. I also have to say, as of this episode, I think I'm starting to like the Skimmons ship... huh... 

What If...: This was such a tense and anxiety-inducing episode, and a strong start to the Framework arc. The show throws both Daisy and Simmons in the deep end and forces them to quickly adapt to a Hydra-occupied world that they're completely unfamiliar with. It all adds up to one of the bleakest episodes of the whole show.

No Regrets: I can't understate just how much of a 180 I made on Mace both times I watched this season. The writers want you to hate him at first, because he's new, unfamiliar, and a bit untrustworthy. But eventually you realize that he really does want to save the world, and his sacrifice to save a child and the rest of the team is just such a noble end to the character. A true patriot. Oh, and May turning against Hydra and giving Daisy a Terrigen crystal is pretty great too.

Farewell, Cruel World: This is pretty much the end of the Framework arc. While not the season finale, most of the cast is back in the real world by the end of this episode. Thankfully, Farewell Cruel World is a fantastic episode. It's fast-paced, tense, and action-packed that evokes the third act of the Matrix in a lot of ways. The final third in particular is fantastic, from Coulson and May's reunion, to Simmons's confrontation with Fitz, to Mack deciding to stay. The emotional moments all land incredibly well. 

The Return: I know I said What If... is one of the bleakest episodes in the series, but The Return is the bleakest episode in the series, at least so far. Saying the team had a rude awakening would be putting it lightly, with Coulson and May trapped underwater, the base being destroyed, SHIELD being declared fugitives again, Elena learning about Mack, and all that sweet sweet drama between Fitz, Simmons, and Aida. This episode is raw, emotional, and incredibly well-acted, while also managing to include some great action and the long-awaited return of Ghost Rider.

World's End: This finale is absolutely packed, but still manages to be a satisfying ending to the season. Obviously, the big emotional stuff happens in the Framework, with Hope disappearing and Radcliffe's death. But there's also Coulson briefly becoming the Ghost Rider, May and Coulson finally getting to discuss their relationship, Talbot getting shot, SHIELD's reputation getting destroyed, and of course, that pretty crazy abduction cliffhanger. This was the last episode that I saw before quitting the show, and I couldn't be more excited to see what happens next.

Overall, Season 4 is amazing. It's well-paced, character-driven, exciting, emotional, and every single one of the three arcs are great in their own ways. And the Framework arc, one of the best storylines in all of television. I can't overstate this enough, I love this season, and it held up just as well upon rewatch.

5/5 Stars

Episode Rankings: Kaguya-Sama Love Is War

Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War is hysterical, it's one of the funniest anime ever made and an absolute joy from start to finish. While the writing is sharp, the premise is inherently funny, the animation is energetic, and the balance of comedy and drama is perfect, it's the cast of characters that really makes the show amazing. Each character is simultaneously lovable and fleshed out, and the vocal performances are absolutely fantastic. I love all these dorks and am very excited to see them again in Season 3. But for now, here's my ranking of its episodes so far:

1. Kaguya Wants To Confess/Dual Confessions/The Shuchiin Afterparty (S3.12)
2. Yu Ishigami Closes His Eyes: Part 2/Miyuki Shirogane And Yu Ishigami/Kyoko Otomo Doesn't Realize (S2.11) - "Go to hell, dumbass." And everyone cheered.
3. The Student Council Would Like A Group Photo/The Student Council Is Going To Get That Group Photo/Chika Fujiwara Wants To Inflate (S2.12) - This was a fantastic and emotional season finale... and the best part was the cast trying to blow up a balloon without popping it.
4. I Can't Hear The Fireworks: Part 2/Kaguya Doesn't Want To Avoid Him (S1.12)
5. I Don't Want To Make Miko Iino Smile/I Want To Make Miko Iino Smile/Kaguya Isn't Getting Called (S2.06)
6. Kozue Makihara Wants To Have Fun/Chika Fujiwara Wants To Unmask/Miyuki Shirogane's Cultural Festival (S3.10)
7. Chika Fujiwara Wants To Beat A Rhythm/Ai Hayasaka Wants To Talk/Maki Shijo Wants Some Help (S3.05)
8. Kaguya Wants Affection/The Student Council Wants It To Be Said/Kaguya Wants Him To Send It/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Talk (S1.04)
9. Ai Hayasaka Wants To Stave Them Off/The Student Council Has Not Achieved Nirvana/Kaguya Wants To Get Married/Kaguya Wants To Celebrate (S2.01)
10. Ai Hayasaka Wants To Get Soaked/Chika Fujiwara Really Wants To Eat It/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To See You/I Can't Hear The Fireworks: Part 1 (S1.11)
11. Kei Shirogane Can't Speak/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Dance/Kobachi Osaragi Wants To Crack Down/Miyuki Shirogane's Dad Wants To Find Out (S2.10)
12. Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Gaze At The Moon/The 67th Student Council/Kaguya Doesn't Want To Say It (S2.03)
13. Kaguya Wants To Give A Gift/Chika Fujiwara Wants To Pay A Visit/About Kaguya Shinomiya (S1.09) - Sick Kaguya is adorable.
14. Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Make Her Confess: Part 4/Tsubame Koyasu Wants To Say No/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Make Her Confess: Part 5 (S3.11)
15. Kei Shirogane Wants To Show Off/About Kaguya Shinomiya: Part 2/Kaguya Wants To Confess (S3.08)
16. Miko Iino Wants To Control Herself/Kaguya Doesn't Scare Easily/Kaguya Wants To Be Examined (S2.08)
17. Miyuki Shirogane Still Hasn't Done It/Kaguya Wants To Be Figured Out/Kaguya Wants To Walk (S1.03) - That Chika dance still blows me away, so fluid and well-animated.
18. The Student Council Wants To Move Forward/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Make Her Confess: Part 2/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Make Her Confess: Part 3 (S3.06)
19. Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Work/Kaguya Wants Him To Join In/Kaguya Wants To Control It (S1.07)
20. Ai Hayasaka Wants Him To Fall For Her/Kaguya Wants To Be Confessed To/Miko Iino Wants To Set Things Right (S2.04) - Hayasaka's "Hey, hey!" lives in my brain rent free.
21. Miko Iino Wants To Be Soothed/Kaguya Doesn't Realize/Chika Fujiwara Wants To Fight (S3.01)
22. Kaguya Wants To Handle It/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Show Off/Kaguya Wants To Be Covered (S1.05)
23. Kaguya Shinomiya's Impossible Demand: "A Cowrie A Swallow Gave Birth To" Part 1/Yu Ishigami Wants To Prove Himself Worthy/Chika Fujiwara Wants To Stay Over (S3.04)
24. Kaguya Wants To Trade/Chika Wants To Go Somewhere/Miyuki Wants To Hide His Ignorance (S1.02)
25. Kaguya Wants To Know/Kaguya Wants To Give A Gift/Chika Fujiwara Wants To Confirm It (S2.02)
26. Spring Of First Year/Kaguya's Culture Festival/Yu Ishigami's Culture Festival (S3.09)
27. Kaguya Wants To Undress Him/Kaguya Wants To Make Him Let Go/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Make Her Read/Kaguya <3 Aquarium (S2.07)
28. Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Mediate/Kaguya Wants To Take Him Out/Kaguya Wants To Interrupt (S3.02)
29. Kaguya Wants Her To Say It/Miyuki Shirogane Can't Lose/Ishigami Closes His Eyes (S1.08)
30. Miyuki Shirogane Wants Girls To Fall For Him/Nagisa Kashiwagi Wants To Console/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Sing/Kaguya Wants To Kick Them Down (S2.05)
31. I Will Make You Invite Me To A Movie/Kaguya Wants To Be Stopped/Kaguya Wants It (S1.01)
32. Yu Ishigami Closes His Eyes: Part 2/Kaguya Wants To Touch/Kaguya Doesn't Say No (S2.09)
33. Kaguya Won't Forgive/Kaguya Wants To Forgive/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Go Somewhere (S1.10)
34. Nagisa Kashiwagi Wants To Kill/Maki Shijo Wants To Take Action/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Be Believed (S3.03)
35. Yu Ishigami Wants To Live/Chika Fujiwara Wants To Test You/Kaguya Wants To Be Noticed (S1.06)
36. Miko Iino Can't Love: Part 1/Students Wish To Discuss The Culture Festival/Miyuki Shirogane Wants To Blow It Up (S3.07)