Glenn Walker is a writer who knows pop culture. He loves, hates, and lives pop culture. He knows too freaking much about pop culture, and here's where he talks about it all: movies, music, comics, television, and the rest... Welcome to Hell.
A lot of people are going to hate me for this, but I'm not a regular viewer of "The Daily Show," not since Jon Stewart came on board sixteen years ago actually. His arrival marked a change in the show. Before, with Craig Kilborn, I kinda dug it, but when it became a news show with comedic elements as opposed to a comedy show about the news - I checked out.
The main thing that has always bothered me about this incarnation of "The Daily Show" is that there are people who think it is news. There are folks who hang on Jon Stewart's every word as if he's this generation's Walter Cronkite, and I think that's sad. Just as I think that more than half of the programming on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and others should have a big sign on the screen that says OPINION when they are doing that instead of reporting the news, I think "The Daily Show" should have one that says SATIRE.
The more Jon Stewart got political, and the more he took himself seriously, the less I liked what I saw. This wasn't what I was tuning in to Comedy Central for, ya know? And if I wanted to see one-sided fake news by people who think they're clever, let's face it, I'd watch Fox News. So yeah, I am neither a regular viewer nor a fan, but I did watch the final episode with Jon Stewart last night.
I enjoyed the SNL40 vibe of the returning correspondents, good to see many of them again, as those reports were something I did dig about "The Daily Show," and I am a fan of the official and unofficial spin-offs with John Oliver, Larry Wilmore, and even Stephen Colbert. And opposed to SNL40, it did not go on too long. As a fast food aficionado I have to say I loved the Arby's commercial, that was a touch of class.
So despite not liking the show, not being a fan of either Stewart or his concept of the show, I have enjoyed it from time to time, and enjoyed the final episode of his run. Even Springsteen was pretty awesome. It wasn't bad, even with the preaching about 'bullshit.' I think would have rather had them actually talk about the Republican debate, but as it stands, we all know the debate was much funnier. I look forward to a new take by incoming host Trevor Noah.
And just one more thing. R'as Al Ghul, in this incarnation at least, seems to be one of those guys who never finishes ordering in a restaurant. He keeps adding on to the deal made with Oliver. First Oliver has to take over as the Demon's Head, then he has to train, then he has to kill his friends, then he has marry Nyssa, then he has to destroy his city. It never ends.
At least in the opening scene this episode, yet another titled from a Bruce Springsteen song, Oliver briefly expressed surprise that it was Maseo who brought the Alpha Omega virus to R'as. It wasn't that I thought Oliver's training was slipping, it was the first time it occurred to me he might be playing along and have a plan after all. Was this all a ruse to trick R'as?
As far as the Alpha Omega virus goes, perhaps I was wrong with my Superboy paradox theory. It sure looks like Flashback Hong Kong is getting hosed. Has the show ever mentioned New York or Los Angeles in three seasons? For all we know, they might be gone as well. At least Team Arrow didn't believe it happened either.
Team Arrow is getting along as well as they can. I loved Diggle's plan with the gang and letting Black Canary clean them up with her scream. I'm still iffy on the sound the Canary Cry makes. I have always thought it like a very loud musical note or an ultrasonic tone. This sounds sorta like someone's killing a cat. Still it was sweet seeing Canary fight four guys at once. Diggle on the other hand is still freaked by Oliver's transformation and losing control a bit. If Oliver has a plan, I guess he's kept it to himself.
How the hell does Malcolm Merlyn get from Starling City saying goodbye to Thea in one scene to Nanda Parbat in Tibet in the next?? Did the Flash help him? Either way, I called it, moments before it was revealed, that Oliver was playing opossum. I just can't get it through my head why Oliver would cooperate with Malcolm over Team Arrow.
So Malcolm speeds mysteriously back to Starling to try to convince Team Arrow that Oliver is faking being R'as' heir and has a plan. Naturally they won't believe a liar, sociopath, and super-villain they know - so he brings in a future super-heroine they don't know - Katana. Somehow, her, they believe. How I'm supposed to believe Ferris Air offers such frequent flights to Tibet however...
The mid-episode fight between Team Arrow and the League of Assassins was pretty awesome. I would have liked more of Katana, the Atom, and the Black Canary in a mask, but I got was good. And John Barrowman was in exceptional fighting prime as well as the Magician. Katana's costume, even though it's roughly the New 52 version, looks great. I hope she stays around for a while now that she is finally here.
Meanwhile Thea goes to be with Roy, living undercover as Jason in an auto shop in Monument Point. Is Roy really gone, and will Thea finally become Speedy now? Comics readers might remember Monument Point is a city of secrets that once headquartered the Justice Society of America for a time in their last days. This isn't the only comics reference in this episode. Other than Ferris which has become a mainstay of the Arrowverse, there's also I believe the first mention of Nyssa's last name, Raatko, and dressing her in one of Neal Adams' Talia outfits.
This is quite a cliffhanger ending, both nail-biting and completely diffused as well. I mean, come on, they're not going to kill off 90% of the cast. I suspect Katana inoculated everyone before they got to Nanda Parbat. The real cliffhanger, is how is Team Arrow going to get away from R'as and the League of Assassins?
Next: "My Name Is Oliver Queen!"
For my other reviews of the entire "Arrow" series, click here. And if you'd like to discuss this episode and anything else in the Arrowverse, please join the Arrow Discussion Group on Facebook.
Being a native born resident of New Jersey, I have had Bruce Springsteen shoved down my throat since the early to mid 1970s, whether I like it or not. I do like Bruce, mostly early Bruce and recent folksy Bruce, but the rest of it is painful to hear as I heard it all a million times per song on Philadelphia radio for decades. But however one might feel about The Boss, everybody loves Clarence Clemons.
The Big Man played sax for Bruce in the E Street Band forever, and when I say forever, I mean it as a compliment. Possibly one of the greatest rock and rock blues saxophone players ever, the man is legend, his smile infectious, and his talent unparalleled. He performed for decades, appeared in film, television and on dozens and dozens of records - and most recently in the video for "The Edge of Glory" by Lady GaGa. Sadly, after a massive stroke last week, Clarence Clemons finally passed away today at the age of 69. He will be missed.
When most folks think of Clemons solo, they think of the Jackson Browne duet, "You're a Friend of Mine," but I go back earlier than that by almost two years, to one of my favorite unsung rock and roll albums - "Rescue" by Clarence Clemons and the Red Bank Rockers. I have it on cassette tape and am still waiting for this baby to come out on CD. Good old fashioned rock and roll, and one song that spoke to me directly about the way I passionately listened to the radio in my younger days - "Rock 'N' Roll DJ." There's not a bad track on the album. I'm gonna miss you, Big Man.
Ever since the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake nipple-for-a-nanosecond debacle of 2004, the powers that be have been determined to make Super Bowl halftime shows short, to the point and family-oriented if possible - clean with no chance of surprise. I just know that they were folks losing their minds last night when Bruce Springsteen not only went over his time but also started ad-libbing with side man Little Steven Van Zandt. But all worked out, Bruce had aged to the point of harmlessness unfortunately.
Now I'm from New Jersey, so we've been putting up with his nonsense, and for the most part enjoying it, since the mid-1970s. So the nostalgic part of me got a kick out of him and the reunited E Street Band jamming like old friends last night. It actually felt rather cozy like seeing them in small club as opposed to the world's largest theatre. And it was good to hear three songs from from different eras of his career as well - been far too long since I've heard "10th Avenue Freezeout."
But it wasn't all nostalgia and flowers. Was it just me or was everyone waiting for that blood vessel on the left side of Bruce's face to just explode? It came close more than a few times. Dude is unfortunately getting old with the rest of us. And I so did not need to see that crotch slide right into the camera either, and almost right into my living room. Sheesh! Good thing that part wasn't in 3-D. All in all though, an enjoyable halftime performance. I've have enough "boss time" to last a little while longer.
