A new podcast episode of Couch Potatoes Unite!, which is based on a blog of the same name hosted at our website: couchpotatoesunite.wordpress.com. In this episode, recorded in September 2020, the remaining CPU! enthusiast who sometimes enjoys getting away with murder – the one and only Eddy – triumphantly returns to the Water Cooler to launch a new companion feature to our interview-style series on CPU! entitled “Shark Jumpers’ Anonymous,” in which panelists – and about to be former-panelists – explain why they are making leaps and bounds over predatory fish (or like trees and leaving). In “Final Thoughts,” any panelist who persevered after the panel jumped that proverbial shark is invited back to the Water Cooler, whether solo or with a partner, to discuss their Final Thoughts about the hitherto discarded show following the airing of its series finale and whether completing the watch is worth the effort in the end. If you have not viewed any of HTGAWM, be aware that there are MAJOR SPOILERS! Tell us what you think, and/or if there are other shows you’re interested in CPU! covering, below; email us at: couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com; or check out our Guestbook at the website, our Facebook page, our Twitter (@cpupodcast), our Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), or our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/couchpotatoesunite. Until next time, until next episode…buh bye!
Executive Producer/Chief Couch Potato: Kylie C. Piette Associate Producers: Krista Pennington and Selene Rezmer
Editor: Kylie C. Piette Logo: Rebecca Wallace Marketing Graphic Artist: Krista Pennington
Theme Song: Written by: Sarah Milbratz Singers: Sarah Milbratz, Amy McDaniel, Kels Rezmer Keyboard: Kels Rezmer Bass: Ian McDonough Guitar: Christian Somerville Engineer/Production: Kyle Aspinall/Christian Somerville
Who: “How to Get Away with Murder” aired on ABC for six total seasons (2014-2020).
What: “How to Get Away with Murder,” a drama featuring Viola Davis (The Help) as a law professor at a prestigious Philadelphia university who, along with a select group of an elite five of her students chosen to be interns at her law firm, becomes entwined in a murder plot.
SYNOPSIS
Annalise Keating (Davis) is a prominent criminal defense attorney and a law professor at Middleton University in Philadelphia. She selects five students to intern at her firm: Wes Gibbins (Alfred Enoch, the Harry Potter films), Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee), Michaela Pratt (Aja Naomi King), Asher Millstone (Matt McGorry), and Laurel Castillo (Karla Souza). They work with Annalise’s employees, Frank Delfino (Charlie Weber) and Bonnie Winterbottom (Liza Weil), an associate lawyer. All players become increasingly involved, peripherally or directly, in the primary murder plot of the season.
When: The series finale aired on May 14, 2020, after six total seasons of 15 episodes each.Couch Potatoes Unite! covered the series through Season 3, after which our three panelists and co-moderators jumped the shark.
Where: The action is set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Why: To find out why individual podcast panelists started watching this show, listen to the Season 1 podcast episode via the link below!
How – as in How Was It? – THOUGHTS
CPU! reviewed three seasons of How to Get Away with Murder before the three (remaining) panelists and co-moderators decided to “jump the shark” in 2018. To catch up on prior CPU! episodes regarding this series, listen via our handy links below:
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Shark Jumpers’ Anonymous: May 2018
In May 2018, CPU!’s coverage of How to Get Away with Murder on the podcast went the way of the dodo. The remaining panelists – Kristen, Krista, and Eddy – found themselves at a Fonzie-inspired crossroads: an inability and sheer lack of desire to proceed forward in watching the erstwhile Shondaland mainstay. As such, though they visited the Water Cooler in the past to talk about a show they once loved, and were even excited enough to rotate moderating duties among them, they elected to undergo our interview-style feature entitled “Shark Jumpers Anonymous (SJA),” in which panelists – and about to be former-panelists – explain why they are making leaps and bounds over predatory fish (or like trees and leaving).
As has long been foreshadowed, however, tonight, CPU! launches the SJA companion feature, “Final Thoughts.” In “Final Thoughts,” any panelist left standing after a panel collectively decides to jump the shark, determined to complete their watch of the controversial series in question, is invited back to the Water Cooler to discuss, in whatever format they wish, whether or not watching the series in question is worth the effort in the end. Of course, with the series in question, you read what I said above – at the time that CPU! jumped the shark watching HTGAWM, we had no panelists left. Well, time passes, and global pandemics descend, and we find ourselves with more time to watch TV as we pass our quarantine-laden days, if that’s how we choose to spend them. Lo and behold, then, one of our previous HTGAWM panelists and co-moderators, Eddy, decided to push forward with the series, and because no one had expressed interest in restarting a full panel since our SJA episode, Eddy was invited back to the Water Cooler, all by himself, to talk to his heart’s content about his HTGAWM-related Final Thoughts, including any Looking Back observations, Parting Shots, and Recommendations (or lack thereof) that he might have for this erstwhile Shondaland procedural mystery/thriller.
Do you agree or disagree with the Eddy’s Final Thoughts? His interview was recorded in September 2020, and there are, without question, MAJOR SPOILERS, as Eddy discusses key plot points of all seasons of HTGAWM but especially of the final season, Season 6. Listen at your own risk, and let us know what you think by commenting below!
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@cpupodcast), Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), Pinterest (@cpupodcast), or email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com – or subscribe to this blog, the YouTube channel, our Apple/iTunes channel, our Stitcher Radio channel , find us on Google Play, on Spotify, on Castbox, on iHeartRadio, on Amazon Music, and now on Patreon(!) to keep track of brand new episodes. In the meantime, let us know what you think! Comment or review us in any of the above forums – we’d love your feedback!
Remember, new episodes and/or blog posts are published weekly! Next Wednesday, our DCTU Series panel returns once again to the CPU! Water Cooler to continue their annual marathon of Arrowverse (or “CWVerse”) recaps and reviews by discussing the inaugural season, Season 1, of Batwoman, newly introduced into this TV universe last season. Stay tuned for the latest round of DC-related snark from CPU!’s spiciest panel!
FINAL RATING & RECOMMENDATION
Eddy’s Final Rating: 3.5 stars (***1/2)out of 5 stars
Eddy, along with his co-panelists and co-moderators, previously reviewed Season 3 of HTGAWM rather poorly, noting the writing to be unfocused and inconsistent in quality, the pace to be slow to the point of drudgery, and the characters to be making uncharacteristic choices. As a result, these same three panelists – notably the three who started the panel – “jumped the shark.” Though his opinion of Season 4 was not much improved compared to his regard for the third season, Eddy, upon deciding to persevere in his watch, observed that the show made something of a turnaround, narratively speaking, in the fifth season, culminating with a shocking and modestly satisfying final season that Eddy deemed to be worth his completion of his series, if not worth future repeat viewings. Eddy lauded the first season’s original storytelling format, which resurfaced in Season 6 and hearkened back to what enticed our panelists to start, as well as the successful cast performances and the quality production elements. Yet, Eddy hesitated to recommend HTGAWM to anyone other than fans of Viola Davis or of the other constituent cast members, noting that the writers failed to deliver a story with some level of consistency, particularly in character development, and that the directors failed to deliver consistent pacing. Eddy felt that procedurals like Law & Order and other titles within that franchise scratch the “whodunit” itch far more solidly and reliably than HTGAWM in the end, even as Eddy noted that HTGAWM has its good qualities as well.
THE FUTURE OF THE SHOW
Ended! How to Get Away with Murder ended after six seasons. HTGAWM is currently available to stream in its entirety on Netflix. Did you watch HTGAWM from beginning to end? Let us know in the comments, and tell us what you thought of any or all of its six seasons! And stay tuned! Though our HTGAWM coverage is finally done with the publication of Eddy’s Final Thoughts, don’t be surprised if it makes an appearance or two in coming discussions, from time to time.
In the meantime, from our version of the Keating…One…to you, thank you for listening to our episodes pertaining to How to Get Away with Murder, which now officially end. To discover other shows discussed by CPU!, check here. For now, we bid you adieu!
Annalise Keating (Viola Davis), in one of the final scenes from the series finale of How to Get Away with Murder
Eddy is the Last Man Standing (no, not that show!) for How to Get Away with Murder. Way to go, Eddy!
A new podcast episode of Couch Potatoes Unite!, which is based on a blog of the same name hosted at our website: couchpotatoesunite.wordpress.com. In this episode, our panel of resident CPU! Trekkers – including moderator Chief Couch Potato Kylie, Nick, Sarah, Kyle, and Michael – reconvened Around the Water Cooler to Look Back at Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This is the eighth part of a multi-part CPU! podcast series – the biggest multi-part series we have ever undertaken – in which we venture into space, the final frontier, by covering each season of each series of the entire Star Trek franchise (the movies too)! This eighth “Star Trek 50+ Series” episode was recorded in November 2020, and, as always, if you haven’t seen any of Star Trek, TNG or otherwise – if that is even possible – be aware that there are MAJOR SPOILERS! Tell us what you think, and/or if there are other shows you’re interested in CPU! covering, below; email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com; or check out our Guestbook at the website, our Facebook page, our Twitter (@cpupodcast), our Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), or our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/couchpotatoesunite. Until next time, until next episode…buh bye!
Executive Producer/Chief Couch Potato: Kylie C. Piette Associate Producers: Krista Pennington and Selene Rezmer
Editor: Kylie C. Piette Logo: Rebecca Wallace Marketing Graphic Artist: Krista Pennington
Theme Song: Written by: Sarah Milbratz Singers: Sarah Milbratz, Amy McDaniel, Kels Sprague Keyboard: Kels Sprague Bass: Ian McDonough Guitar: Christian Somerville Engineer/Production: Kyle Aspinall/Christian Somerville
Who: “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” an American science fiction series created by Gene Roddenberry, which aired in syndication from 1987 to 1994 for seven seasons.
What: “Star Trek: The Next Generation” follows the adventures of the star ship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) and its crew. The third series in the Star Trek franchise, it is the second sequel to Star Trek: The Original Series.
SYNOPSIS
Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of the United Federation of Planets, it follows the adventures of a Starfleet star-ship, the USS Enterprise-D, in its exploration of the Milky Way galaxy. The Next Generation features a new crew: Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Jonathan Frakes as Commander William Riker, Brent Spiner as Lieutenant Commander Data, Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Commander Worf, LeVar Burton as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge, Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi, and Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher, as well as Denise Crosby as Lieutenant Tasha Yar in Season 1 and Wil Wheaton as Ensign Wesley Crusher in Seasons 1-4.
When: The show aired in syndication from 1987-1994; Season 4 aired from September 24, 1990, to June 17, 1991, with a total of 26 episodes.
Where: The show is set in “space the final frontier,” in what is allegedly the 24th Century, though it should be noted that calculating star dates as quoted during “Captain’s Logs” on the show is an exercise that seems to be more logical in this series than in The Original Series but does not seem to correspond to our present-day time measurement system. Then again, there is probably an explanation in some fan encyclopedia somewhere. We’re not going to worry about that right now, though, gentle listener.
Why: Listen to Episode 5, linked below, for the panelists’ individual stories on how they found Star Trek: The Next Generation.
How – as in How Much Do We Love this Show?!
In 2017, Couch Potatoes Unite! appeared live at Grand Rapids Comic-Con in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where we engaged in one of our spicy “Vs!” debates, specifically the debate entitled “Star Trek v. Star Wars: Battle of the Stars!” During that special, our second most involved panelist, the infamous Nick, gave an impassioned speech in favor of the Star Trek universe, of which he is undeniably a huge fan. In light of Nick’s passion, then, and of his subsequent repetitive bouts of subtle encouragement dedicated to starting this series, we here at CPU! triumphantly continue our biggest – no, really, this will be our biggest – Retrospective Looking Back series of podcast episodes to date. Listen to previous episodes in this series here:
The Original Series: Season 1
The Original Series: Season 2
The Original Series: Season 3
The Animated Series: Seasons 1-2
The Next Generation: Season 1
The Next Generation: Season 2
The Next Generation: Season 3
Our panel of CPU! super-regulars and resident Trekkers – specifically Nick, Sarah, Kyle, and Michael – continue our likely “five year mission” to boldly go where (probably) no one has gone before with this eighth episode of our “Star Trek 50+ Series.” In this feature, we are taking a critical Look Back at a franchise that, perhaps somewhat unexpectedly, perseveres, despite occasional periods of dormant but simmering popularity and attempts to regroup in an effort to generate new entries in its over five-decade saga. In each episode of this multi-part series, our panel will Look Back at each season of each series of the Star Trek franchise and will consider how this universe has not only withstood the test of time, while simultaneously becoming timeless, but also continues to rank among the panelists’ personal favorites, not only as a series of television programs but as a favored fandom among many, while remaining one of the most nationally and internationally acclaimed series of television shows of all time.
In this eighth episode of CPU!’s “Star Trek 50+” series, our panel discusses Season 4 of The Next Generation (TNG). We discuss our favorite and least favorite episodes in Season 4 as well as our general impressions of the long-term success of the series as a whole.
Plus, Star Trek: The Next Generation constitutes another entry in our “Best Of!” series. To wit, herein be the list of TNG’s Best Of!:
#46 on TV Guide’s list of 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
#37 on Empire‘s “50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time” in 2008 and #30 in 2016
#55 on The Hollywood Reporter‘s “Hollywood’s 100 Favorite TV Shows”
In addition, Star Trek: The Next Generation is one of the most celebrated cult TV shows, as the show ranks at #8 on Entertainment Weekly’s Top Cult TV list from 2014. Plus, Star Trek: The Next Generationranked #79 on The Writer’s Guild of America’s Best Written TV list in 2013, as it is also considered one of the best written (scripted) television series of all time.
This particular CPU! episode was recorded in November 2020, and there are, without question, MAJOR SPOILERS, as the panelists cover key plot points and episodic stories of Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation! Listen at your own risk, and let us know what you think by commenting below!
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@cpupodcast), Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), Pinterest (@cpupodcast), or email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com – or subscribe to this blog, the YouTube channel, our Apple/iTunes channel, our Stitcher Radio channel , find us on Google Play, on Spotify, on Castbox, on iHeartRadio, on Amazon Music, and now on Patreon(!) to keep track of brand new episodes. In the meantime, let us know what you think! Comment or review us in any of the above forums – we’d love your feedback!
Remember, new episodes and blog posts are published weekly! Next Wednesday, after CPU! jumped the shark watching How to Get Away with Murder with our “Shark Jumpers Anonymous” episode published in 2018 (which we reran in November 2020), and given that the series finale aired this past spring, co-moderator Eddy, the last United Couch Potato to persevere with watching the entire series, returns to the Water Cooler, all by his lonesome, to offer you his Final Thoughts about HTGAWM, in the first published iteration of the companion feature to our “Shark Jumpers Anonymous” episodes. In “Final Thoughts,” anyone who did not jump the shark in the previous “SJA” episode visits the moderating microphone a final time for the relevant series to offer their individual Parting Shots about a show that their co-panelist(s) simply could not complete on their own, for whatever the reason. Stay tuned!
RECOMMENDATION
Star Trek: The Next Generation – if you haven’t already watched it – is recommended to anyone who hasn’t somehow seen any portion of it in the over 30 years since it first premiered and who enjoys well-written science fiction stories because, as much as Star Trek: The Original Series pioneered good science fiction television in so many ways, not the least of which includes quality stories underlying each of the show’s imaginative episodes, TNG took that sensibility all that much further 20 years after TOS started the trends. As we discuss in all of the TNG podcast episodes, TNG, like its progenitor show, clearly influenced so many other science fiction and fantasy genre programs to follow, not to mention further spin-offs and sequels in the Star Trek universe. To wit, Star Trek: The Next Generation continues the Star Trek tradition of being a timeless, magical fusion of ensemble cast chemistry and out-of-the-box creativity. Indeed, TNG, like TOS, has a bit of everything, and, if you love the genre and/or if you love trying something new, and if you have somehow missed this series, you should make time for Star Trek: TNG. The panel universally agrees and predicts that even if a potential viewer estimated that they would struggle with the aged quality of special effects and performance/presentation of The Original Series, The Next Generation would allay those concerns and would become the gateway Star Trek series worth watching to experience the magic of the universe and the richness of characters and stories it produces. Though, as one of the actors of this particular cast is fond of saying, and to paraphrase, you don’t have to take our word for it!
All seven seasons of TNG are currently available to stream on Netflix, Prime, Hulu, CBS All Access, and maybe some other services of which we are not aware. In the meantime, the CPU! Star Trek 50+ Series panel will return later this year with Episode 9 of this series, in which we talk Season 5 of TNG. Until then!
A new podcast episode of Couch Potatoes Unite!, which is based on a blog of the same name hosted at our website: couchpotatoesunite.wordpress.com. In this episode, recorded in December 2020, our DC Television Universe or DCTU Series panel – including moderator Chief Couch Potato Kylie, Hilary, Kyle, Spencer, Kristen, and Nick – reconvenes Around the Water Cooler for the twenty-seventh episode of our DCTU ongoing series to discuss Season 6 of the Arrowverse’s/CWVerse’s first spin-off, The Flash. If you have not watched any of the DCTU/Arrowverse/CWVerse (through May 2020), be aware that there are MAJOR SPOILERS! Tell us what you think, and/or if there are other shows you’re interested in CPU! covering, below; email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com; or check out our Guestbook at the website, our Facebook page, our Twitter (@cpupodcast), our Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), or our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/couchpotatoesunite. Until next time, until next episode…buh bye!
Executive Producer/Chief Couch Potato: Kylie C. Piette Associate Producers: Krista Pennington and Selene Rezmer
Editor: Kylie C. Piette Logo: Rebecca Wallace Marketing Graphic Artist: Krista Pennington
Theme Song: Written by: Sarah Milbratz Singers: Sarah Milbratz, Amy McDaniel, Kels Rezmer Keyboard: Kels Rezmer Bass: Ian McDonough Guitar: Christian Somerville Engineer/Production: Kyle Aspinall/Christian Somerville
Who: “The Flash” is a superhero/action/mystery drama centered on events and characters inspired by The Flash franchise of the DC Comic Universe, which airs on the CW, though it is currently on hiatus.
What: “The Flash,” a series developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Geoff Johns, based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / The Flash, a costumed superhero crime-fighter with the power to move at superhuman speeds. This series is considered a spin-off from Arrow. The series follows Allen (Grant Gustin), a crime scene investigator who gains super-human speed, which he uses to fight criminals, including others who have also gained superhuman abilities.
SYNOPSIS
After witnessing his mother’s supernatural murder and his father’s wrongful conviction for the crime, Barry Allen (Gustin) is taken in by Detective Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) and his family. Allen becomes a brilliant but socially awkward crime scene investigator for the Central City Police Department. His obsession with his tragic past causes him to become an outcast among his peers; he investigates cold cases, paranormal occurrences, and cutting-edge scientific advancements that may shed light on his mother’s murder. No one believes his description of the crime—that a ball of lightning with the face of a man invaded their home that night—and Allen is fiercely driven to vindicate himself and to clear his father’s name. Fourteen years after his mother’s death, an advanced particle accelerator malfunctions during its public unveiling, bathing the city center with a previously unknown form of radiation during a severe thunderstorm. Allen is struck by lightning from the storm and doused with chemicals in his lab. Awakening after a nine-month coma, he discovers he has the ability to move at superhuman speeds. Dr. Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanaugh), the disgraced designer of the failed particle accelerator, describes Barry’s special nature as “meta-human.” Allen soon discovers that he is not the only one who was changed by the radiation. Allen vows to use his gifts to protect Central City from the escalating violence of meta-human and other criminals. He is aided by a few close friends and associates who guard his secrets.
When: Season 6 aired on the CW from October 8, 2019, to May 12, 2020, with a total of 19 episodes.
Where: The action is set in fictional Central City, one of the primary settings of The Flash franchise.
Why: To find out why individual podcast panelists started watching this show, listen to the first Flash podcast episode via the embedded link below! It should be noted that CPU! Chief Couch Potato Kylie previously picked up this show during the 2014 Fall Preview, noting:
The DC comics universe is attempting some major expansions now that Marvel is push and shove proliferating on big and small screens everywhere. The Flash is a classic hero; he was given an appearance on Smallville, and there is some crossover with Arrow, which I’ve decided to catch up on, since the CW is offering DC Comics a chance to implement those crossovers. Also, I like the choice for the title role. The Flash is a non-flashy guy, almost DC’s equivalent of Spider Man, given an extraordinary ability, as opposed to several. It could be an engaging new take on an old superhero story.
How – as in How’s It Going? – THOUGHTS
This is the twenty-seventh episode in CPU!’s DCTU series. Here are only the prior The Flash episodes in the series; as we flush out seasons of all Arrowverse/CWVerse shows, older episodes will be searchable via the website – click the upper right dialog box in the header, the picture of the couch full of TV watchers. Listen to each episode here:
DCTU Series, Episode 3, “The Flash,” Seasons 1-2
DCTU Series, Episode 9, “The Flash,” Season 3
DCTU Series, Episode 15, “The Flash,” Season 4
DCTU Series, Episode 20, “The Flash,” Season 5
DCTU Series, Episode 23, “Crisis on Infinite Earths – LIVE!”
In our last DCTU episode, our cheeky and feisty DCTU panel – namely Kyle, Hilary, Spencer, Kristen, and Nick – continued addressing the most recent full seasons of each of the four “Arrowverse” series in order of the airing of each season finale by discussing the third season of recent Arrowverse/CWVerse addition Black Lightning. Tonight’s episode finds the panel returning to the Water Cooler to talk the sixth season of The Flash in the twenty-seventh episode of our DCTU series. The discussion herein considers the success of Modern Age villains “Bloodwork” (guest: Sendhil Ramamurthy) and what is ostensibly a revised, post-“Crisis” Mirror Master (Efrat Dor); the effects caused by Crisis on Infinite Earths, leading up to that Crisis and following it; the continued dual nature of Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost/Frost, no “Killer” (Danielle Panabaker); the Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanaugh) enigma caused by the Crisis; and how the Central City section of the Arrowverse is faring as a whole. In fact, the panelists’ typically unanimous and stalwart support of The Flash as the best of the CW’s DC Universe offerings continued to wane a little this time, with some of the panelists expressing dissatisfaction with repetitive story-telling and questionable character decisions, while other panelists still see The Flash as the most consistent and, therefore, most enjoyable property of the five (current) Arrowverse shows.
This particular episode was recorded in December 2020, and there are, without question, MAJOR SPOILERS, as the panelists cover key plot points of Season 6 of The Flash. Listen at your own risk, and let us know what you think by commenting below!
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@cpupodcast), Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), Pinterest (@cpupodcast), or email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com – or subscribe to this blog, the YouTube channel, our Apple/iTunes channel, our Stitcher Radio channel , find us on Google Play, on Spotify, on Castbox, on iHeartRadio, on Amazon Music, and now on Patreon(!) to keep track of brand new episodes. In the meantime, let us know what you think! Comment or review us in any of the above forums – we’d love your feedback!
Remember, new episodes and blog posts are published weekly! Next Wednesday, our “Star Trek 50+ Series” returns to the Water Cooler to continue their mega-sized Retrospective Series covering all shows under the Star Trek franchise banner. Next week’s episode will talk Season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Stay tuned!
Questions, Impressions, and Future Considerations
Old Questions
1) REPEAT QUESTION: Will the Trickster, as played by Mark Hamill, ever return?
REPEAT ANSWER: Unknown. Luke Skywalker has no shortage of work
2) REPEAT QUESTION: Was Cecile’s (Danielle Nicolet) meta-ability of being able to read minds exclusive to just her pregnancy, as Caitlin initially theorizes, or is Cecile some lingering type of meta herself? Alternatively, will her baby daughter one day be a meta?
REPEAT(ISH) ANSWER: Cecile’s meta ability persists throughout Season 6. As to their daughter’s potential meta-ness…that remains to be seen.
3) REPEAT QUESTION: Who is the new female speedster that Jay Garrick said he was training as he transitions into retirement from being Earth 3’s Flash?
NEW ANSWER: Unknown/still a question. The answer to this question is not clarified in Season 6 and will likely never be clarified as the Earth 3 Jay Garrick no longer exists – because Earth 3 no longer exists following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
4) How much of Season 6 will be devoted to setting up the mid-season crossover mega-event Crisis on Infinite Earths? Some of the panel wants a balance of setup and routine Flash shenanigans; some of the panel wants this show particularly to exclusively work toward that setup, since the Flash is central to that story.
ANSWER: The latter “some” of the panel got their wish. The entire series of episodes leading up to The Flash’s entry in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover was devoted to setting up Barry’s role in that Crisis.
5) Where in time is the version of Eobard Thawne that we watch in Season 5? Is he pre-Season 1? Post Crisis on Earth X? A time remnant? Or something else?
ANSWER: Unknown at this time, and because of how the Harrison Wellsmanifested in the events of The Flash following “Crisis,” we cannot rule out that any additional appearance of Eobard Thawne is not somehow connected to the Season 5 appearance of him. Listen to the podcast episode for ponderings about this character.
6) How much will the show explore the Negative Speed Force in Season 6? Will we see Eobard Thawne again, in his Season 5 incarnation, next season?
ANSWER: The show does not further explore the Negative Speed Force in Season 6. We do see Eobard again, but we cannot as yet determine what incarnation he truly is because of what the Crisis on Infinite Earths did to the infinite number of Harrison Wells, including those who would wear his face. Listen to the podcast episode for details.
7) Panelist Kyle proved giddy in light of the appearance of Godspeed in Season 5. Will we see him again? Will he become a season “big bad?”
ANSWER: We see Godspeed again in Season 6, but the use of the character does not ultimately please Kyle (listen to the podcast episode for details). Godspeed is not, however, the “big bad” of Season 6.
8) How will Cisco (Carlos Valdes) function and/or be in Season 6 without being Vibe? Will he make the adjustment well? Will he still be with Kamilla at the start of Season 6? Will he be truly at peace with his situation or jealous of all of his super-friends? Or something in the middle?
ANSWER: At first, Cisco seems to feel free and easy about no longer being Vibe, carefree of the need to be part of the metahuman side of the team and enjoying the prospect of a longer life expectancy not otherwise reduced by the physical effects of opening portals to other places, spaces, and dimensions. He appears to adjust well until he is temporary reconstituted with his Vibe powers during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. His temporary return to meta-status seems to inspire and foment some inner regret for Cisco throughout the second half of Season 6 once he loses those powers again, though these tendencies and emotions might yet be evolving.
Cisco does start the season linked to Kamilla, who is a supportive and loving girlfriend to Cisco. He does not exhibit any characteristic indicative of envy or jealousy of his super-friends; however, he does appear to be wistful, once his Vibe powers disappear again following the Crisis, that he is unable to call upon those abilities, and there even seems to be some indicators that Cisco feels left out, particularly when the Mirror-Verse or Mirror Dimension becomes a factor in the second half of Season 6. Listen to the podcast episode for speculation.
9) Will Barry and Iris (Candice Patton) try to have kids now, knowing that Nora once existed?
ANSWER: While we believe that they have not ruled out having children, they do not make any further attempts in Season 6; they begin the season grieving Nora’s loss.
10) Will we see Caitlin’s mother’s full transformation to meta-human in Season 6? Will Caitlin/Killer Frost have to help her adjust? Will Caitlin’s mother also take on a “dark personality,” like her erstwhile husband and daughter?
ANSWER: Caitlin’s mother does not appear again until what is the aired season finale of Season 6, a season that was cut short due to halts in production caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear whether the remaining unaired and/or unproduced episodes would have addressed these questions, so we will leave this inquiry for our Season 7 recap and review.
11) With Captain Singh’s promotion to police chief and his admitted knowledge that Barry is the Flash, will we see him again? How will Joe adjust to life as precinct captain?
ANSWER: Yes! We see Chief (!) Singh again – in more ways than one – in Season 6. Primarily, he does show up to consult with Captain Joe West for some situations, but is it really Chief Singh that we are watching? That becomes a legitimate question for the viewer in the second half of Season 6. Listen to the podcast episode for details.
12) What will trigger the now moved-up headline (new date: 2019) in the Time Vault foreshadowing Barry’s disappearance and/or Crisis on Infinite Earths? Will Oliver Queen have to sacrifice himself to save Barry from his prognosticated fate, as the Arrow scene tag from Elseworlds, shown in Arrow’s season finale, seems to indicate?
ANSWER: What accelerates the Crisis to 2019 is that Harrison “Nash” Wells, the Season 6 version of the Wells doppelganger, opens a secret vault/tunnel that was designed to lock away the Anti-Monitor (LaMonica Garrett), a being that seeks to destroy the Infinite Earths. Oliver Queen sacrifices himself to save the entire universe in that pesky Crisis; listen to the Crisis on Infinite Earths podcast episode for details.
13) Which version of Harrison Wells will we meet in Season 6? Tom Cavanaugh: our panel salutes you, sir!
ANSWER: The Season 6 Wells likes to be called Nash. He is from another, unspecified Earth. He is something of a treasure hunter/seeker/thief, and he has a bone to pick with Mar Novu aka the Monitor (also Garrett). Unfortunately, he triggers the Crisis on Infinite Earths by unlocking the cavern sealing in the Anti-Monitor, the being to which the Monitor was really referring all along.
14) Will we at least get to see if Sherloque Wells (Cavanaugh) and Renee Adler live happily ever after?
ANSWER: We do not get to see Sherloque and Renee’s post-Season 5 existence in Season 6 prior to their Earth’s assumed destruction and inclusion within Earth Prime following the ballyhooed and several times aforementioned Crisis.
15) If Crisis on Infinite Earths foretells the collapse of the multiverse, as proffered by the comics, which version of Harrison Wells will be Harrison Prime?!
ANSWER: It seems we are left initially with Nash post-Crisis; however, Nash is beset by a curious conundrum. The infinite consciousnesses of all of the Harrison Wells of all of the Infinite Earths are somehow bound to and stored within Nash’s subconscious – including that of the Eobard Thawne wearing Wells’ face. What does it all mean? This is one of our primary questions rolling into Season 7. In answer to the above question, the viewer does not know or understand fully which Harrison is the Prime Harrison.
16) The show toyed with the idea of Caitlin and Ralph (Hartley Sawyer) getting together, though they, as in the characters themselves, poo-pooed the very notion in Season 5. Still: the chemistry is undeniable. Will Caitlin and Ralph reconsider? They seem to have a special rapport.
ANSWER: Caitlin and Ralph have not developed their friendly chemistry into romance; then again, “Caity” let Killer Frost aka Frost, no Killer, “drive” for much of Season 6, and Ralph is not exactly Frost’s type. He did provide Frost assistance via his special brand of life-coaching, though!
17) Alternatively, will Ralph find a romantic relationship that sustains beyond twelve steps (or however many steps there are in Ralph’s various self-authored self-help guides)?
ANSWER: This is a BIG question as of the end of Season 6. During the season, Ralph does not strike up a romantic relationship with anyone specifically or officially, though he surely sends flirtatious sparks toward a spunky socialite turned thief superior by the name of Sue Dearbon; as panelist Kyle reminds us, Ralph and Sue are married in the DC Comics. Unfortunately, Ralph’s romantic life and possible future with Sue are jeopardized by the real-life actions of Hartley Sawyer, Ralph’s portrayer, who was fired from the show after Tweets including racist, sexist/misogynistic, and other potentially offensive “ist” language were uncovered during 2020’s socio-political unrest. Though the producers and writers have gone on record to indicate that they do not plan to remove Ralph as a character permanently, he will likely return with a transformed face provided by a new actor and only sporadically. Thus, any chemistry that Ralph might have had with Sue or Caitlin or Frost is pretty much in question with the likely impending arrival of a Ralph Dibny no longer portrayed by Mr. Sawyer.
15) Will we see any first-half-of-season crossovers on The Flash, in spite of the mega mid-season crossover on the horizon?
ANSWER: No. No character from any of the other Arrowverse/CWVerse shows crossed over to The Flash (and no one from the cast of The Flash otherwise crossed over to another show) prior to the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover.
New Questions
1) What exactly is Caitlin’s mother hoping to do with Frost (other than to provide a convenient excuse for Danielle Panabaker to leave for maternity leave)? What will Frost discover about her/Caitlin’s mother?
2) Bloodwork, the primary villain from the first half of Season 6, is currently imprisoned in a special, power-dampening cell. When he is confronted by Eva McCulloch’s mirrored versions of Kamilla, Iris, and David Singh, he indicates that he does not want to leave his special cell, though these mirror clones are willing to free him, because to do so would interfere with his own plans. What plans are those?
3) Will Barry regain his powers? Will he be able to build a new Speed Force? Will he be able to resuscitate the one that died as a result of Barry’s actions in the Crisis on Infinite Earths?
4) Will Barry be able to rescue Iris from the Mirror-Verse? Or, will Iris save herself as well as the correct versions of Kamilla and Chief Singh?
5) Will Cisco regain his Vibe powers somehow, and how will it happen?
6) Is Eva McCulloch really a new Mirror Master? Now that she has slain her ex-husband, what exactly are her plans and how do her specific meta-abilities, which allow her to manipulate mirrors, factor into those plans?
7) Panelist Kyle believes that the three episodes unproduced/unaired as a result of COVID-19 would have born witness to the return of the Reverse Flash. Does this mean that Eobard Thawne in Harrison Wells’ face will break through Nash’s controlling consciousness? Will he consume or subsume all other Wells doppelgangers’ consciousnesses inside Nash? Will he be able to suppress them while he “drives” Nash Wells’ body? Or, will we be watching a “Jekyll and Hyde” situation in which Eobard vies for control against the other Wells consciousnesses, and will we see Tom Cavanaugh playing several Harrison Wells at once?
8) Is Harrison/Nash/Eobard responsible for the return of Godspeed? Who is making the Godspeed clones, what is the purpose of the clones, and why are they clones? Where is the real Godspeed? Is Eobard working with the real/original Godspeed?
9) How will the writers/producers/directors facilitate the departure of Hartley Sawyer’s version of Ralph Dibny from the show?
10) Now that Eva McCulloch succeeded in murdering her ex-husband, what will become of Doctor Light, Ultraviolet, and Sunshine, aka the agents of Black Hole?
11) Wally West (guest: Keiynan Lonsdale) returned for one episode in Season 6, despite Mr. Lonsdale’s prior indication that he planned to retire from acting. Wally’s purpose for his return to Central City is to explore why the Speed Force is waning/dying and how he can prevent it, though he also chastises Barry for some of his universe-altering decisions during Crisis. Will Wally be part of the solution for restoring the Earth Prime’s speedsters’ speeds? Will he help Barry construct a new Speed Force or resuscitate the old one? Will Keiynan Lonsdale make other future guest appearances in Season 7?
12) Why is Cecile not able to emotionally read or sense Mirror-Iris?
13) Will we continue to see Flash’s wider gallery of villains and what their post-Crisis iterations are and who will we see? This season, we met a post-Crisis Pied Piper, Turtle, Blacksmith (guest: Katee Sackhoff), Goldface, Gorilla Grodd, Rag Doll, and the members of Black Hole.
14) Will The Flash and/or other shows within the TV universe cobble together their version of the Legion of Doom or a Justice League? Will Warner Brothers finally allow Arrowverse entries like The Flash to use characters recently portrayed in film, such as Batman and his villains or Captain Boomerang? The panel votes all of the above.
15) David Ramsey, the erstwhile John Diggle of Arrow, is rumored to be returning for a multi-show arc across the CWVerse this coming season. Will Ramsey be returning as Green Lantern, and what will his contribution be to The Flash?
PARTING SHOTS
The CPU! DCTU panel continues to, now somewhat cautiously, universally recommend The Flash to fans of comic books, particularly from the DC universe, and of the Flash franchise, though some of the panel’s members remain more restless with The Flash generally in these later seasons compared to the show’s strong two first seasons. Still, most if not all of the panel continues to believe, generally, that even casual comic book/superhero fans will find something to love in what the panel primarily regards to be the Arrowverse’s most consistent if not best series. The panel also continues to universally praise the ensemble cast as the series’ most solid feature as well as the general direction of the show, though there are some panelists who quibble with writing decisions, particularly around the primary villains of the seasons after Season 2 and how the members of Team Flash respond to those villains in the moment. As several panelists note in tonight’s episode, however, even though this season might not be as mesmerizing as Seasons 1 and 2, the weakest seasons of The Flash still surpass the strongest seasons of many other series, including all of the other Arrowverse series. The panel, though, continues to appreciate, overall, the faithful and loving adaptation of a hero who may not have received the same star treatment as his Justice League compatriots and co-founders, Batman and Superman, at least in modern memory. Further, the panel will always laud Grant Gustin’s portrayal of Barry Allen, readily and enthusiastically. As always, take a listen, and see if you agree with the panel’s general thoughts on these matters.
LOOKING AHEAD
The seventh season of The Flash is slated to premiere on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, at 8:00 PM on the CW. CPU!’s next DCTU episode, which will focus on the inaugural season, Season 1, of Batwoman, will publish in February! Like, follow, and/or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts, on Patreon, or via our social media accounts to stay abreast of new episodes in the DCTU podcast series as well as of new episodes for all of our podcast panels! And, if you feel so inclined, please leave us a review. Thank you!
A new podcast episode of Couch Potatoes Unite!, which is based on a blog of the same name hosted at our website: couchpotatoesunite.wordpress.com. In this episode, recorded in December 2020, our panel of comic book and superhero enthusiasts – including moderator Chief Couch Potato Kylie, Kristen, Nick, Hilary, Kyle, and Spencer – reconvenes Around the (Quarantined) Water Cooler for the twenty-sixth episode of our DCTU ongoing series. In this episode, the panel concludes the process of catching up on a show that has existed mostly separately from the so-called Arrowverse (recently redubbed the CWVerse) since its subtly auspicious beginnings but for the universe-collapsing events of the “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” The show is Black Lightning, and our spicy DCTU expert group reviews Season 3 in DCTU Series Episode 26. If you have not watched any of the DCTU/Arrowverse (through March 2020), be aware that there are MAJOR SPOILERS! Tell us what you think, and/or if there are other shows you’re interested in CPU! covering, below; email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com; or check out our Guestbook at the website, our Facebook page, our Twitter (@cpupodcast), our Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), or our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/couchpotatoesunite. Until next time, until next episode…buh bye!
Executive Producer/Chief Couch Potato: Kylie C. Piette Associate Producers: Krista Pennington and Selene Rezmer
Editor: Kylie C. Piette Logo: Rebecca Wallace Marketing Graphic Artist: Krista Pennington
Theme Song: Written by: Sarah Milbratz Singers: Sarah Milbratz, Amy McDaniel, Kels Rezmer Keyboard: Kels Rezmer Bass: Ian McDonough Guitar: Christian Somerville Engineer/Production: Kyle Aspinall/Christian Somerville
Who: “Black Lightning” is a superhero drama centered on events and characters inspired by the comic of the same name from the DC Comic Universe, which airs on the CW, though it is currently on hiatus.
What: “Black Lightning,” a series developed by Salim Akil that is based on the DC Comics character Black Lightning, created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden. The series sees the retired Black Lightning (Cress Williams) return to his life as a superhero and follows the effects that his vigilante activity has upon his professional and family life.
SYNOPSIS
The series centers on Jefferson Pierce (Williams), the principal of Garfield High School in the city of Freeland. Nine years prior to the start of the series, he was a superhero called Black Lightning, but he retired after the effect his double life had on his family. Jefferson is forced to become Black Lightning anew when the 100, Freeland’s most feared criminal gang led by Tobias Whale (Marvin “Krondon” Jones III), begins taking over the city.
When: Season 3 aired from October 7, 2019, to March 9, 2020, on the CW with a total of 16 episodes.
Where: The action is set in the fictional city of Freeland, as set in the DC Comic Universe. This city appears to be a DC equivalent of Atlanta, Georgia. Some of Season 3’s story lines also occur in the fictional country of Markovia, as set in the DC Comic Universe.
Why: To find out why individual podcast panelists started watching this show, listen to the Season 1 and 2 recap and review episode via the embedded link below!
It should be noted that CPU! Chief Couch Potato Kylie previewed Black Lightning during the 2017-2018 network pilot season with a portended pick up for the podcast and this potential review. Back then, I noted:
It’s a comic book show. CPU!’s comic book core (or corps?) will likely step up to the plate for this one, particularly if it is folded into the crossover potential of the Arrowverse, making it a likely additional entry for our DCTU panel. The trailer shows some influence by Marvel’s Luke Cage but also the broader, moodier tones of the DC film franchise as a whole, ringing with more gravitas than even Arrow when it first began. How will it all come out in the wash? We’ll be there to find out.
Sometimes, I just know how to call them. Sometimes.
How – as in How Was It? – THOUGHTS
This is the twenty-sixth episode in CPU!’s long-running DCTU series but only the second in the series to discuss Black Lightning. The last five episodes in this series are linked below (to find the whole series, find the dialog box at the top right of the header, with the picture of the couch full of TV watchers, to search for any prior podcast episode or blog/website entry):
DCTU Series, Episode 21, “Supergirl,” Season 4
DCTU Series, Episode 22, “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” Season 4
DCTU Series, Episode 23, “Crisis on Infinite Earths – LIVE!”
DCTU Series, Episode 24, “Arrow,” Season 8 and Looking Back
In our last episode, our cheeky and feisty DCTU panel – namely Kyle, Hilary, Spencer, Kristen, and Nick – met “Around the Water Cooler” to continue our annual review of the most recent full seasons of each of the “Arrowverse” programs in order of the airing of each season finale by recapping and reviewing the first two seasons of Black Lightning, after finding themselves with the sudden need, following the events of the 2019 mid-season crossover mega-event, Crisis on Infinite Earths, to catch up on a show that has existed mostly separately from the so-called Arrowverse (recently redubbed the CWVerse) since its subtly auspicious beginnings but for the universe-collapsing events of the “Crisis” in question. Tonight’s episode finds the panel returning to the Water Cooler to conclude their process of catching up on Black Lightning, as our spicy DCTU expert group discusses Season 3, in this, the twenty-sixth episode of our DCTU series.
How did our rather critical panel of comic book aficionados and adjacent adorers regard the most recent season of Black Lightning, now the fifth show to be covered by our DCTU Series? Unfortunately, what began as a decidedly lukewarm to not so good at best review of the first two seasons has descended to something just north of scathing in tonight’s discussion, noting that the show has failed to identify and improve upon writing, directing, and continuity problems, and, in some instances, middling performances in its time on air. While the panel acknowledges that representation is key and applauds the thought behind the concept, the formula behind said concept is too well-worn and has not, in any way, been tweaked for the current property, making it play like a hollow and messy copy with a cultural twist. Listen to tonight’s episode and judge the panel’s reactions for yourself but brace for the impact – Black Lightning does little to shock our panel’s collective comic book consciousness, especially at this stage in the series.
This particular episode was recorded in December 2020, and there are, without question, MAJOR SPOILERS, as the panelists cover key plot points of Season 3 of Black Lightning. Listen at your own risk, and let us know what you think by commenting below!
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@cpupodcast), Instagram (@couchpotatoesunite), Pinterest (@cpupodcast), or email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com – or subscribe to this blog, the YouTube channel, our Apple/iTunes channel, our Stitcher Radio channel , find us on Google Play, on Spotify, on Castbox, on iHeartRadio, on Amazon Music, and now on Patreon(!) to keep track of brand new episodes. In the meantime, let us know what you think! Comment or review us in any of the above forums – we’d love your feedback!
Remember, new episodes and blog posts are published weekly! Next Wednesday, our DCTU Series returns to the Water Cooler once again in a continuation of their annual marathon with a recap and review of the most recent season, Season 6, of The Flash in the twenty-seventh episode of their series. Stay tuned!
Questions, Impressions, and Future Considerations
1) What exactly is LaLa’s spirit-based tattoo power, and why does he have one, while Lady Eve, who also seems to have been resurrected with aid from the water of a Lazarus Pit, does not appear to have an enhanced ability?
2) Is Lynn (Christine Adams) developing an augmented or more permanent meta-ability due to her ongoing addiction to Green Light, which she is seen taking in the final moments of the Season 3 finale? Or, is she now addicted to the serum that allows her to have meta capabilities for a temporary time interval, since it appears she also uses such abilities following her final showdown with Grave Digger (guest: Wayne Brady)?
3) Will we see additional crossovers between members of the casts of Black Lightning and the other Arrowverse/CWVerse shows? Or, will the now final season of Black Lightning premiere too late or be too far removed to be included in any future crossovers, either this season or in any remaining seasons of the existing CWVerse series? Similarly, will potential crossovers be affected, limited, or eliminated by the effects of ongoing COVID-19 quarantine?
4) How often does Gambi (James Remar) use his scanner that can see through topsoil over graves? Panelist Kyle expressed wonderment at this curious and macabre device.
5) Will David Ramsey, the erstwhile John Diggle on Arrow, appear in the final season of Black Lightning, since he is rumored to have signed a contract to potentially appear in all of the Arrowverse/CWVerse shows?
6) Is Grave Digger still alive? Did he survive the Season 3 ending events? Where did the government take him? Will he appear again in Season 4?
7) What possible story can seed the Pain Killer (Jordan Calloway) backdoor pilot, and why do the show runners and/or the network feel that this pilot and/or a potential spinoff series is a good idea, when Black Lightning is one of the lowest rated series on the network and is facing its own series-ending season/series cancellation? Will Jennifer (China Anne McLain) and Khalil reunite romantically before and/or during this backdoor pilot?
8) Will Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Grace finally be married? Should they be, given the mixture of their individual abilities?
9) How is Jennifer so powerful? Will the show ultimately explain Jennifer’s powers and how they continue to outpace her father’s abilities as well as those of others around her? What destiny awaits her?
10) Will Jefferson/Black Lightning join the “Legends” of Tomorrow following the end of his series?
11) Is the Council in Gotham City really the Court of Owls, and did Agent O’Dell succeed in installing Lady Eve on the Council? Are we going to be intermingling with Gotham City and/or the Court of Owls next season?
PARTING SHOTS
Our feisty, spicy, and admittedly judgmental group of DCTU Series panelists – though they might say that they have reasonable standards and high expectations for comic book adaptations given their specific interests and expertise – continue to, somewhat vehemently, not recommend Black Lightning to anyone, even to comic book fans or to, specifically, DC Comic fans. In tonight’s review of Season 3, our panelists persisted in singing a refrain from their prior Black Lightning review, reiterating similar observations that pockmarked their discussion of the first two seasons: Black Lightning recycles elements, formulae, and themes from other Arrowverse shows and even from other comic book properties without incorporating something original or fresh to set it apart. Several panelists recalled similarities to Marvel’s Luke Cage, which might be an obvious comparison point for this property on the one hand but on the other hand somewhat hampers the creative direction of this particular DC story, as panelist Kyle reminded us that the same comic book writer was behind both properties’ page source. Therefore, it proves difficult for our panel to abandon the exercise of comparing both shows, regardless of the cultural/representational similarity; however, our panelists ultimately asserted in tonight’s episode that Marvel’s Luke Cage is, in the end, a superior television series.
Ironically, the panel continues to regard Black Lightning as generally better paced than Luke Cage, but the panelists also note that Black Lightning lacks the polish of any of the Netflix Marvel shows and even of some of the CW DC entries, as it is plagued by erratic writing choices likely owing, as panelist Kyle repeated, to the fact that the original comic book run of Black Lightning amounted to eleven total issues. The panel also universally struggles with the series’ primary villain, Tobias Whale (Jones), either seeing him as an amalgamated ripoff of other characters, such as Marvel baddie Kingpin or DC gangster Brick (who was already used on Arrow), or as a villain with some intrigue or potential due to his origin story but without the caliber of actor or the quality of writing to make him more than a two-dimensional mustache-twirler who doesn’t feel worth Jefferson Pierce’s particular angst, despite the trauma of his own history. The panelists also commented on how it seems that other “bad guy” characters in this series are criminally underused to the point of feeling almost comedic in ways that are likely unintended and/or so vastly unexplained or lacking dimension, our resident viewers cannot maintain engagement or the will to care about them, which only serves to underscore the panel’s consensus of opinion around the idea that Black Lightning doesn’t know what it wants to be in the end. Still, the panelists continue to praise the performance gravitas of particularly Williams and find that the show shines brightest when the story is focused upon Jefferson’s efforts to balance his family life with his superhero pursuits from the vantage point of having an “established” normal life that he adopted after having retired his super suit for a time, while remarking upon the observation that Season 3 departed from this construct in several episodes and suffered for it, as the showrunners attempted to shoehorn Black Lightning into the larger Arrowverse/CWVerse in light of this past season’s mega crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Unfortunately, the panel, on average, also struggles with the more “cookie cutter” comic adaptation aspects of Black Lightning, which render watching the series a “more of the same” activity, to the point of vocal frustration and exasperation that it is even part of this television universe – and, therefore, part of the panel’s watch assignment – rather than something unique or even minimally entertaining.
Finally, our panelists announced feelings of validation and vindication when describing how little interweaving Jefferson Pierce and his meta-family into the Arrowverse framework helped the quality of his underlying story. As such, our panelists expect little to no improvement for what will now be the fourth and final season of Black Lightning, since no panelist believed that the show experienced any kind of noteworthy improvement in entertainment quality in this third season – no matter how good some of the technical elements, such as the cinematography, are and no matter how much the soundtrack might continue to slam (and slam it does).
LOOKING AHEAD
In January 2020, the CW renewed Black Lightning for a fourth and final season, which is slated to premiere on February 8, 2021. In the meantime, our DCTU Series podcast panel will next convene around the CPU! Water Cooler next week to review and recap Season 6 of The Flash. Until then! Stay tuned!
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