For four years Black Lightning graced our screens with a generational story about an older superhero and person of color. The series was notable for its grounded storytelling, depicting street level foes for the titular character and showcasing a realistic family dynamic for a series with so much fantasy in its conception. In this episode we talk about the final season of Black Lightning. We discuss the plot, the changed premises, new characters, and the performances. We also discuss the Painkiller pilot, why we think that it didn’t get picked up, and whether we’d like to see more from the character. We also give our opinions on the series’ end and whether it lived up to four seasons of buildup.
In this week’s five-minute controversy we discuss whether Grant Morrison’s comments about an authoritarian Superman have any merit.
This week Mike; James; and newcomer, Thomas, join the cast.
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Titans was the flagship series for DC Universe’s new crop of live-action series based on the DC characters. Based on the popular Teen Titans franchise, the series highlighted darker themes and tones than most DC adaptations, which left many fans feeling ambivalent about the series after only the trailer dropped. In this episode we dive deep into the darkness of the series and discuss whether it was warranted for the story or not. We discuss the changes between seasons 1 and 2. We also talk about the characters that they’ve included and those they’ve left out and mention why that might be. We also give our opinions about the best things about the series and what we’d like to see in season 3.
Stargirl took the geek world by storm at a time when people really needed something to take their minds off quarantine. It’s a series that celebrates the fun of silver age comics in a way that sets it apart from the other DC Comics series of the last few years, including those on the CW. In this episode we discuss Stargirl and what gives it its unique charm. We’ll also talk about the characters and the story. We’ll opine on whether the move to the CW as its primary network will change the series. We’ll also give our predictions on what we think will happen next season.
This episode we continue our celebration of 100 episodes of The 42cast. We recorded far too much material for our 100th episode that we just couldn’t fit it all in. In this episode as a bonus to you, you get the conversations that we couldn’t include! In this episode,
Batwoman debuted last year as the newest series in the CW’s Arrowverse. Ruby Rose’s casting sparked controversy, but it was clear that the CW was determined to promote the series – debuting the character in the prior year’s Elseworlds storyline, setting her up as an integral part of the Crisis on the Infinite Earths event. In this episode we discuss everything about season one from Rose’s performance as the titular character to her departure from the series. We also discuss Rachel Skarsten’s performance as Alice and whether the character can withstand the loss of Kate. We also talk about the romantic tropes, side characters, the bat-family, and whether the Supergirl formula can work on another series. We also speculate on what we want out of season 2.
Black Lightning returns to our television screens in February. In preparation we’ve taken a look back at season 3 to discuss everything that was going on with the series. We focus on how the show continues to address topical issues as we also discuss the series’ new, post-Crisis position in the Arrowverse. We talk about returning faces like Painkiller and also new ones such as Gravedigger. We don’t pull any punches as we discuss the departure of Chief Henderson. We also talk about what we expect out of season 4.
In 2015, DC released a list of a large number of DC movies extending into 2020. Of the movies announced for 2018 or later, Shazam was the only one that was neither rescheduled nor canceled. In this episode, we take a look at the Shazam film. We discuss the Captain Marvel name controversy. We talk about the portrayal of the same character with a young actor and an adult actor. We also talk about the villainy of Mark Strong and whether the Seven Deadly Sins really measure up. We also discuss how the plot of the film worked for us and what we want to see out of a second movie.
This week, green is the new black as we discuss season 7 of Arrow. Oliver Queen has been thrown in jail, and a new Green Arrow appears on the scene in the form of Oliver’s secret half-sister, Emiko. The Queen family tree may have more hidden branches than the Charmings’, but we ensure that everything is clear with our typical, somber commentary on the proceedings. We discuss how this season effected us, how we felt about the departures, whether Diggle should ever be The Green Lantern, and what we think it all means for Crisis on Infinite Earths. It’s an episode so good that Ryan isn’t on the cast. Let’s play the Feud!
Four years and 2 networks into the series, Supergirl seems to have finally found it’s footing. In this episode we discuss difficulties of writing for the eternal optimism of Kara Danvers. We also discuss John Cryer’s surprising turn as Lex Luthor, Brainiac 5’s addition to the cast, and why a little moral ambiguity goes a long way in a series like this.
After years of messing with the timeline, the Flash becomes embroiled in his daughter’s very own Flashpoint as Nora-West Allen joins the crew in season 5 of The Flash. In this episode we examine the ramifications of this storyline as it effects the past, present, and future of The Flash. We’ll also talk about the villainy of Cicada, why the Reverse Flash is always Barry’s greatest nemesis, ways of improving the character of Iris, and how all of this will dovetail into this year’s Crisis on Infinite Earths.