#being an arrowverse fan has blessed me

[infartoomanyfandoms]

I am immediately flustered if any woman that I didn't know could sing, suddenly starts singing.

This also applies to dancing

...and playing instruments

It's just so hot to me idk

[dailyblacklightning]

EXCLUSIVE: Grace Choi is officially here to stay on The CW’s Black Lightning. Chantal Thuy, who plays the shapeshifting metahuman on the Arrowverse superhero drama, has been upped to series regular for season four.

Grace Choi is based on the Black Lightning comic created by Tony Isabella with Trevor von Eeden. Thuy first appeared as a recurring character in the first season and she developed a relationship with Anissa (Nafessa Williams) who is also known as the metahuman Thunder and/or Blackbird. The Grace and Anissa broke ground as an on-screen queer superhero couple of color — and they were about to get married before the War for Freeland interrupted things.

“Chantal Thuy embodies the character of Grace Choi,” said Black Lightning executive producer and showrunner Salim Akil. “I am sure our Black Lightning fans knew, especially those who follow the Grace and Anissa relationship storyline, that having Chantal join as a series regular was only a matter of time. I am elated to finally welcome her officially to the team.”

Deadline talked to Thuy about what’s in store for Grace in season four, Asian and queer representation in the superhero space and the possibilities of seeing Grace team up with her half-sibling Ryan Choi (aka Atom).

DEADLINE: When you first read the role of Grace Choi, what was your initial reaction?

CHANTAL THUY: When I read the role, I was blown away by Grace’s playful wit, her strength and the fact that she was actually written as an Asian American superhero, which is still rare to this day. I knew it was a role that would be really fun to play. My interest was also piqued because I had never seen an all-Black superhero series on The CW before, and I thought that was a really interesting and important story to explore.

DEADLINE: As you enter season 4, how do you think Grace has changed since the beginning and how do you plan on navigating what’s in store for her in the new season?

THUY: As the seasons progressed, Grace has started to embrace her strengths and her powers, which I see continuing into season 4. She’s gaining control of her shapeshifting abilities, she’s less volatile, and less of an outsider. I’m hoping this will mean a new suit and getting to join in on more of the family fights to protect Freeland! I also feel her tendency to avoid intimacy will slowly be mended through her relationship with Anissa.

DEADLINE: Grace is one of the only — if not the only Asian superheroes on TV right now. What does it mean to you to have a queer, Asian superhero at the forefront of one of the biggest comic book TV franchises?

THUY: I can’t say this enough, but media and entertainment shape our beliefs, thoughts and perceptions, and it is important for Asian Americans to also have a seat at the table and have our voices heard. We are one of the fastest-growing racial groups in the United States, yet we are still greatly underrepresented when it comes to roles in television and film. It’s time for us to have visibility and be seen. For this reason, I feel even more so blessed to be portraying a queer Asian superhero on a show with such a historic debut for television representation.

DEADLINE: Speaking of Asian superheroes, Osric Chau’s Ryan Choi (aka Atom) made his debut on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. In the comics, Ryan and Grace are half-siblings. Do you think we can expect them to meet in the Arrowverse in the near future?

THUY: I would love nothing more than to see what a storyline would look like if Ryan Choi and Grace got to team up in the Arrowverse. I’m very curious to see what their backstory is and how they would interact. I think that there’s exciting opportunities available with the crossovers, and who wouldn’t be interested in seeing two long-lost half-siblings reconnect?

DEADLINE: Why do you think a show like Black Lightning is relevant more now than ever when it comes to the representation in TV? How do you think Black Lightning speaks to the current social landscape?

THUY: Black Lightning has been successful in exploring real world issues that affect Black communities in America, while also being able to entertain audiences in the process. Salim, our showrunner, has been an amazing voice for the community. These issues need to be discussed now more than ever in this period of social unrest and political mess. To close off, I also deeply experience the value of the work when young girls and women reach out to me and say they feel seen and validated in part due to the relationship between Nafessa Williams’ character and mine, which is something they rarely get to see between two POC superheroes on television.

[catchingbutter]

Welp

Supergirl is officially over.

While the finale was underwhelming, as the show has been the past couple seasons, I still want to take a second to say goodbye to a show that has inexplicably had such a profound impact on my life.

I started watching supergirl part of the way through season 1. It was my gateway into watching the rest of the arrowverse as well, reigniting a love for superheroes that I had long forgotten about. Supergirl brought me the whole arrowverse, specifically the wonderful shit show (affectionate) that is legends and the amazing relationship that is avalance.

By introducing me to the arrowverse, supergirl also showed me the world of comics and superheroes in a way I had never experience them before. I never had the opportunity to get into comics and superheroes as a kid, maybe because I had other interests maybe because of lack of exposure who knows🤷🏻‍♀️. Regardless, the only experience I really had was some toys my brother had as a kid that I occasionally played with alongside him. They were made for kids younger than me though and made me feel too old for superheroes. Getting to my early teen years and seeing people be super into comics intimidated me and squashed any desire I had to try to jump into the world of DC and Marvel because knowing where or how to start felt too daunting. It wasn’t until the arrowverse (by way of supergirl) that I was able to really embrace a deeply buried love for superhero stories. From there I was inspired to consume other media; specifically movies and the occasional comic. I even took a whole class in college about Batman villains, something that ignited my interest in superheroes tenfold and brought it onto a whole other level.

Supergirl also became a way for me to spend time with family I felt extremely separate from. Being able to sit together with my parents and my brother and spend time together was another blessing the show provided. Even though I was the only one who kept watching when I went off to college, the show started something I never knew I needed. If I didn’t watch supergirl and the rest of the arrowverse, I probably wouldn’t have started watching stargirl, the show my parents, brother, and I currently all watch together. I didn’t realize the power of media to bring people together until supergirl came around and helped me find a way to connect with my family.

Most importantly, and in fact very ironically given the finale 🤡, supergirl helped me become the proud bisexual person I am today. Alex’s coming out journey occurred at the same time I was grappling with coming to terms with my own sexuality. Seeing Alex have a lot of the feelings and experiences as me really helped me come out to myself and eventually gain the confidence to come out to others. Alex and Maggie’s relationship was one of the first queer relationships I had seen on tv, and was certainly the first one to capture my full attention and heart. Not only did the canon wlw relationships shape my first couple years being out and proud, the all-but-canon supercorp shaped those first couple years and so many more. I had some of my first experiences reading fan fiction because of supercorp and sanvers, I realized exactly what people meant when they talked about an otp and how devastating it can be when that ship breaks up, the list goes on and on.

Overall, while the finale (and let’s be real most of the past 3 seasons of the show) wasn’t the best it could be in my opinion, Supergirl as a whole holds a special place not only in my heart but in the trajectory of my life as well. Thank you Supergirl for all you’ve given to me and though the end was rough I don’t regret letting you into my life one bit.

[estelofimladris]

My 2019 in fandom was sad, chaotic, and massive.

I stared the year neck-deep in The Magicians. I’ve wanted a fandom to feel that much like home for a long time now and I felt like I could stay there forever. With the new season on the horizon, I was ready to cry and cheer and drink my way through another Fillorian stumble, but at the finish line, I was so sad, winded, and tired that it nearly shattered me.

I had an exciting and fun interlude into the madness of The Umbrella Academy, which I’m so excited for more of. Right when The Magicians was starting to really look dire, Umbrella Academy brought in its chaotic bastard energy to excite me about something else, which I really needed, but it didn’t fully take me out of drowning in The Magicians.

I was still invested all through the brutal season of The Magicians up to the very end. As usual, I was making wild predations all the time but I’ve never been left more dissatisfied after a finale than I was for the Season 4 finale. It broke my heart.

It (of course) also happened in the home-stretch of grad school, so being possessed to re-write the finale that I despised so much in the middle of completing my thesis wasn’t exactly the best plan, but it happened anyway. It kept me sane because I was suddenly without a foundational fandom to fall back into and feel good even when my work was making me tired all the time.

Then, like an apocalyptic blessing, I was gifted with Good Omens.

Right at the end of school, Good Omens dropped on Amazon Prime. It came in like a flaming Bentley to remind me that not every fandom will kick you when you’re down. The fandom was lush with ten plus years of beautiful art and lore that I’d only dabbled in before and the show was rich with endless possibilities. I remember the first time I put on Crowley’s glasses, I felt invigorated for the first time in fandom since The Magicians obliterated me a little over a month prior.

Then in August, one of my biggest fandom dreams came true. My current job is on a project in one of my biggest fandoms. It won’t be out for a minute, but when it does come out, expect me to scream about it for ages.

In October, the Arrowverse came back with a vengeance. I’ve (somehow) been a fan of Arrow since Season One. The ending being in sight has made this whole season very emotional and I am so happy with what they have done to say goodbye to the show and hello to Green Arrow and the Canaries. I’m so scared and excited for the end. The Flash has been somewhat frustrating this season up to Crisis for me because what I want out of the show has not happened this season, but I can wait. I’m immensely behind on Supergirl, which I plan to catch up on soon, and I’ve started Batwoman, but am only part way in.

Then there’s Crisis. We’ve been waiting for this event since Barry was struck by lightning, honestly, and somehow they haven’t disappointed. I’m absolutely terrified of where we go next, but every big cameo, twist, and teamup has made me so happy.

I could have basked (and am still basking) in the glory that is the Good Omens fandom forever, and I will always come back for more Arrowverse TV, but my heart will forever be tied to Star Wars and to Star Wars I always, inevitably return.

With The Rise of Skywalker looming on the horizon in December, when Disney+ dropped, I was very ready for some fresh Star Wars content. I’ve always been very resistant to anything to do with Mandalorians (with a specific exception for Canderous from Knights of the Old Republic) because of the (to me) inexplicable obsession with Boba Fett people have. I didn’t realize, however, how much Mandalorian culture I had somehow retained.

By the time The Mandalorian was out, I was mostly excited for it as a fan of film. I love a good Western and was raised on Kurosawa so the prospect of a Star Wars western tinged with the loss of Mandalore really tantalized me. Plus, I love me some Pedro Pascal and Gina Carano.

What we all got out of The Mandalorian was way better than I could have imagined. My distaste for Mandalorian culture vanished into me screaming “IS THAT MANDALORE?” repeatedly about the Armorer or anyone that showed any station above our Mandalorian. And, of course, I’m not a monster, the Child is one of (if not the) cutest things ever created by Star Wars.

Then there’s the boat of feelings that I have about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. I stand by my initial review. I don’t dislike it and if it’s going to end, why not like this? Yes, I have some B.I.G. issues with a specific kiss, but other than that, I just wish they had 2 movies where they only had 1 to take more time with everything. And there’s the immense and devastating losses that happened to characters that only matter if you’ve read the comics, the books, etc. Leia was bad enough, but I had a decent feeling that because of the loss of Carrie that there was a decent chance of that happening. It was sad, but I wasn’t unprepared for it. Snap on the other hand was rude and really gutted me.

So here I am at year’s end. Next year has more adventures working professionally on fandom media, the ending of Crisis, and a whole mountain of more unknowns. This year began with some huge fandom downers, but ended on a relatively high (if not cliffhanger-y) note for me in fandom. Here’s hoping 2020 stays away from the big heartaches.

[karazor--el]

Supergirl’s David Harewood Teases His 'Significant' Role In Crisis

David Harewood has been an important member of the cast of Supergirl since its first episode. Since then, his character, the Martian Manhunter J’onn J’onzz, has been through a lot both as the head of the DEO and as a son and brother reconnecting with long-lost family. Yet, one thing we haven’t seen Harewood do is play a large role in past Arrowverse crossovers. With "Crisis on Infinite Earths," that’s about to change.

CBR spoke to Harewood about what it’s been like to get to know his character’s family on Supergirl, the “significant” role he plays in the upcoming "Crisis" and the crossover’s impact on J'onn J'onzz going forward.

CBR: On Supergirl we’ve been learning a lot about J’onn J’onzz’s family over the past few seasons. What has that been like for you as an actor?

David Harewood: Well I keep getting these surprises. I always thought I was the last son of Mars, but I’m not the last son of Mars. There’s quite a few. So it’s been great. The writers always seem to come up with these relatives that are… challenging in some way.

But it’s been just wonderful in terms of acting to be able to work with the likes of Carl Lumbly, particularly Carl Lumbly but also Phil LaMarr. But working with Carl on Season 3, I believe it was, that’s probably one of the… highlights of my career just working with Carl.... And I feel very, very lucky and blessed that Supergirl has given me the opportunity to work with such a great actor.

When did you learn J’onn would be dealing with this brother he betrayed leading into “Crisis on Infinite Earths?”

I kind of knew something about it towards the end of last season [that] it might happen. But it’s been great. I’ve been aware of the character, obviously, for many years. It’s always nice to be able to reach back into J’onn’s mythology.

He’s such an incredible character with such a great pay-off. It’s been a real pleasure playing him and exploring him. As an actor it’s been great to explore the mythology of the character. Maybe one day somebody’ll play him in a movie. He deserves it. He’s such a fabulous, fabulous character.

Did you draw on any personal experience for J’onn’s familial squabbles?

Oh, always. Not necessarily squabbles, but I would say, in the past, exploring J’onn’s character, he was very much alone and you use the experience of being away from your own family and what that would be. So, I guess you do get to use your own experiences in that way.

And Carl Lumbly, I mean, just wow! I mean he actually looked just like my dad at some point. It was really odd ‘cause I lost my dad… about three or four years ago to the same condition [his character lost his father to], dementia. It was really, really amazing to work with [Lumbly] on that and kind of explore that.… Things like that have just been fantastic.

I’m sorry about your dad.

Dementia’s just terrible isn’t it?

Supergirl hasn’t been as “Crisis”-centric as The Flash or Arrow this season but in the mid-season finale we learned that all of J’onn’s trials with Malefic had been a test set up by the Monitor. Why was it J’onn specifically that was being tested?

I think as you’ll see throughout the "Crisis," J’onn… has many capabilities and I think one of them specifically is going to be highly important. And I think perhaps the Monitor was… testing J’onn to make sure his skills are honed because during the Crisis he plays a significant role, and it is specifically because he’s a Martian that he’s able to do that. I think the Monitor is probably right to think of J’onn when he was thinking about… exactly what was happening.

The Monitor told J’onn that his vulnerabilities were his strengths. Can you elaborate on what he might have meant by that?

I can’t particularly elaborate on it for J’onn but I think all of us need to acknowledge our vulnerabilities… And be aware of… putting up these fronts of “everything’s okay, I’m fine.” People do feel vulnerable. People should be free to reach out. I don’t think it is a weakness. Society always thinks that being vulnerable is a weakness and I don’t think it is, I think it’s a sign of openness.

Speaking of going into “Crisis,” this is a massive crossover. When you were shooting it what was it like being on set with all of the people that are involved?

Just fantastic! Very, very, very, very exciting… They’re all such individuals. They all bring their own individual energies and it’s great! It’s really wonderful… spending so much time with them all. I haven’t really featured in many of the previous crossovers, so it was interesting to sit across from this guy and this girl.

And I think we’ve all got some fantastic pictures to post, which we didn’t really want to do or couldn’t do because obviously we didn’t want to give away stories, so I think people are going to look forward to some really nice photographs over the next couple of weeks.

Oh, very cool! What was your response to the part you got to play in the crossover?

It was very exciting. As I say, having not previously featured in the crossovers to suddenly be very much a part of what is happening was satisfying and gratifying. Also a double-edged sword because not having been in the previous crossovers I’ve managed to go home and see my family, which is always nice. So, I couldn’t do that this time. That’s why it was so nice getting home [over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend].

Can you speak to J’onn’s relationship with any of the other heroes or villains in the crossover?

It’s always nice to see Tyler [Hoechlin, who plays the Arrowverse’s Superman]. He’s such a fantastic, fantastic actor and such a wonderful representation of Superman. I think he completely nailed it. And I really wish him well with his new show [Superman & Lois]. That’s going to be really exciting, really excellent. So it’s always nice to be around him, and with some of the other guys…. I’m amazed at how many of them have musical backgrounds… Every now and again there’s a little bit of a number. It’s quite exciting to be around them.

What will the impact of the crossover be on J’onn or Supergirl going forward?

The Crisis is going to affect everybody. So I think specifically with J’onn there is a fundamental change with J’onn that I think will be interesting for fans and interesting for me as a character and an interesting direction… to take the character. So I’m excited to see what these next scripts are going to be.

[Supergirl star] Melissa [Benoist] recently posted a video about being a survivor of domestic violence. What were your feelings about her story and her decision to speak out?

I think she’s incredibly brave and I was really, really proud of her. I love her to bits as an actress and as a person. And I’m 100 percent behind her. And I think we’re incredibly blessed in this company to have people who speak… their truth and are unafraid, as I said before, to show vulnerability… I was really proud of Melissa that day for owning that, being honest. It’s incredibly encouraging and will help other people… be honest about what their own situations are. [Former Supergirl actor and Benoist's husband] Chris [Wood] was a wonderful advocate for mental health, as am I. We’re really lucky to be a part of a cast of actors who are really unafraid to speak their truth and I was very proud of Melissa that day.

"Crisis on Infinite Earths" begins Sunday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Supergirl, then continues in Batwoman on Monday, Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and in The Flash on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. After the winter hiatus, the crossover will conclude on Tuesday, Jan. 14 in Arrow at 8 p.m. ET/PT and in DC's Legends of Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Airing Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers, David Harewood as Martian Manhunter, Mehcad Brooks as Jimmy Olsen and Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers.

CBR.

[13unknownmind]

The Arrowverse is back Supergirl S4E2

alright so you already know how it goes spoiler alerts and all that good stuff if you have not seen episode 2 of season 4 of Supergirl then go watch it and come back with excitement and share your thoughts.

Alright so we talked about characters and their development last time we spoke, so I'm thinking we just kind of jump in with the show so lets go.

Aight first things first I'm loving the equality thing that's going on because this is something that basically we are facing now in our country, this is not a place for me to share my political views or my thoughts on our government so let's just stay on Supergirl shall we lol

Now I don't know what all to say to start this out except for one thing of course #Supercorp! We can all clearly see it so let's just get that one out the way.

Now that that's handled let's move on to the next thing... was it just me or did anyone else notice that Eve Tessmacher and Rosa Diaz from Brooklyn Nine-Nine are basically the same person... Like we turned around and Eve studied nuclear physics and other things that I personally think is awesome but like Eve is doing the same thing as roses she don't want nobody to know what's going on in her life or has gone on so she just kind of reveals tidbits and everybody looks at her like they confused... For real she is an interesting character. I do however wish to know what happened to Jess¿ I hope we find out.

Next thing Kara really... allergies lol

Yo I cannot wait on this one any longer, Nia went from adorable and shy in literally no time at all and that for one is so awesome cause she is one being the person she wish she had (both in real life and on the show) which is to awesome... Makin' that tsunami Kara was talkin' about and I am so happy that she is. We need more tsunami makers I think.

Aight so I said we had it out of the way but... Nope we now gonna talk about #Supercorp! One of my favorite things, so "Did I ever tell you you're my favorite person?" Says Lena as she is in a "committed relationship" ok so going to bed on occasion and pretending you are not in love with your best friend/the one person you clearly know could be the super hero that hurt you so badly... If you aren't in love then why are Kara's opinion, thoughts and actions the only ones that matter¿ #Supercorp! Lives on... "The Luthor name doesn't deserve Lena!" Aahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! So true and I love that she said it like Kara even though she is Supergirl at the time, the whole "you are safest with me" and "get behind me" from Lena directed towards Kara also proves a lot... Just sayin' call me a hopeless romantic if you want. LoL

Ok who wants to bet Brainiac 5 and Nia are gonna either be a thing cause it looks like it could very well go that way... I want to see what they do with the future interactions 'cause I am hooked lol

Is it just me or was James actually a decent-ish human being¿ Still not a fan but I can say I was impressed.

"when innocent people are being attacked it's not about balance it's about justice." I was so proud of her in that moment and I can say Nia is starting to work her way into my top favorite characters in the Arrowverse. She is so powerful and I am love that she is such a strong character (which obviously can only come out of a good actress such as herself).

I also wish to say a few things about this whole agent of liberty or what ever he's calling himself... Really bro kind of sums it up though so I'm gonna leave the angry rant alone lol

Ok so just a few more things.

Is it just me or is Alex even more attractive now with the power and the kickbutatude as well as the hair and... Have you seen her trying to stay calm it is so easy but hard for her. I am loving it.

Could Lena be more obvious that James is not a significant thing in her life for real... Just sayin'.

Again Kara... Allergies really‽

So we are dealing with Lex's ex... Great another psychopath.

I know J'onn can handle himself but is it really a good Idea to be going to anti-alien things alone?

And finally OH MY GOSH KARA IS FALLING (for Lena *Cricket chirping* lol) WHAT IS SHE GONNA DO AND WHAT THE FRICK IS GONNA FIX THIS‽‽‽

We will find out in the next episode of... I was about to say Dragon Ball Z lol

Anyway I thank y'all for reading if you did and if you have gotten this far leave a comment and like I said let me know your thoughts and for those who have not read my other posts just go to #my thoughts on the Arrowverse. And let me know what you have to say on those as well... Well as always I hope y'all are well stayin' safe and I pray for blessings over you in abundance ✌️❤️ and 😊

[aion-rsa]

Batwoman Season 3: Batwing, New Gotham Villains, Promise Wild Year

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Batwoman‘s second season had a lot of ground to cover following the departure of Ruby Rose as Kate Kane post-Season 1. Let’s recap! Season 2 introduced Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) as the new titular hero with Ryan finding the Batsuit among the wreckage of  Kate Kane’s crashed plane. From there, she decides to use the suit to get justice for her adoptive mother’s death. Mary and Luke let Ryan keep the suit warm and keep the city safe while they wait for Kate to return, eventually growing into a tight team of their own.

Season 2 had to ask the question: what happened to Kate Kane? And devoted much of its top half exploring the answer. Kate was presumed dead after the plane crash, then thought to be Safiyah’s captive, then presumed dead again, until it was ultimately revealed that she was brainwashed by Roman Sionis to believe she was his late daughter, Circe.

Ryan and Alice confronted Circe and were able to dose her with aerosolized Snakebite, which finally brought Kate back. Mary, Luke, Sophie—and the audience—were all able to get closure with Kate, and Kate gave Ryan her blessing, officially passing the torch. Season 2 was one of reinvention, and it solidified Ryan Wilder as Batwoman. The finale also left us with some major clues as to what to expect in the forthcoming third season, which is set to premiere in October. Let’s discuss all of the major happenings set to occur in Batwoman Season 3, from new villains and heroes, to which mysteries could be solved…

Luke Becomes Batwing

One of the biggest moments in the Batwoman season 3 finale came when Luke finds a Batsuit created for him by his late father. He suits up for the first time and saves Mary from a Bane-ified Tavaroff, signaling his introduction as a new hero, Batwing.

Luke comes out of the season with a new suit and a new outlook on life, but it wasn’t without some major derails. After surviving near-fatal gunshot wounds, Luke went a little dark side until a run-in with John Diggle (David Ramsey) reminded him of who he was. 

“I think that scene between them was one of the best parts of the episode,” Ramsey told us when we spoke to him about a potential relationship between Diggle and Luke. 

“Both of them are still on a journey,” Ramsey says. “Part of Luke’s journey, part of that transition, John Diggle’s already made.” 

Diggle started out as Oliver Queen’s bodyguard and evolved into the hero fans know and love. Luke Fox was Batwoman’s “Man in the Chair,” and helped both Batwomen make the suit their own before stepping into a suit himself. 

“For Fox to begin to walk those same steps and to have a man that looks like him, that sounds like him, that lost his father like him, to have those similarities… I think it’s good writing for Fox, specifically, because he doesn’t know John Diggle,” Ramsey says. “So this will be a totally new relationship.”

Luke is a Black man in a notoriously corrupt city who will be taking up the mantle of Batwing. Without the direct guidance of his late father Lucious Fox, or the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, Diggle could serve as a mentor, a role we’re not used to seeing that character in. 

“I think in terms of our universe we haven’t really seen that. Just having this character begin to grow into a Batman, and to have someone who’s already done it, that has been through the same thing he’s been through, looks like him, can talk to him, I think that kind of mentorship on television, I think, is just rich.”

Ultimately, the people behind the mask are who we root for and who we tune in to see week after week. Batwoman has given us characters and relationships that are compelling and resonant. Luke has always been integral to the team, and his experience in becoming Batwing will be important to explore.

“To come back [from what Luke experienced] and then find another Black man who took interest in him, who sees the similarities, and can speak to that, can speak to fatherhood, can to speak to mentorship, can speak to losing his own father, can speak to coming into his own heroship, if you will… it’s great because ultimately you can see them fight together,” Ramsey says. “All the superhero stuff is there, but I just think about it on the other side of it, in terms of storytelling between these two Black men, one younger, one older, I just think it’s great for TV.”

There’s a lot of potential for Diggle to mentor Luke, especially as Diggle makes his own heroic transformation. 

“Obviously, John Diggle has his own destiny that he’s going into,” Ramsey says, hinting at the Green Lantern journey Diggle is on. “But how he fits, going into the mythos of other shows, I think that’s one of the things I would love to recreate, just that relationship between Diggle and Fox.”

The Truth About Ryan’s Mom

After Ryan and Alice temporarily team up to rescue Kate and recover her memories, Alice is arrested by GCPD, and Kate leaves Gotham to find Bruce, officially passing on the Batwoman mantle to Ryan. When Ryan visits Alice at Arkham Asylum, Alice reveals that Ryan’s birth mother, presumed to have died in childbirth, is alive and well. That’s a major revelation for Ryan and it’s going to be a major part of her story going forward.

Robin Givens was recently announced as a series regular, Jada Jet who is described as “passionate and hard working, a woman who has worked her way through life’s ups and downs to climb her way to the top — all while being extremely protective over her impetuous son. A woman with a deep past that forced her to give up her first-born child, Jada is a woman with a good heart, but will do whatever it takes to protect her family.” 

Ryan has survived a lot of trauma, and overcome a lot of personal obstacles. The discovery that her biological mother is not just alive, but thriving, could completely upend her reality.

Batwoman Season 3 Villains

Batwing will feature prominently in Batwoman season 3 and he’ll be likely recovering the villain trophies Circe stole from the Batcave. If the items that washed up on a Gotham river are anything to go by, the Bat Team may be facing off against iterations of Penguin, Mad Hatter, and Poison Ivy. The latter seems especially likely, given that Poison Ivy was name-dropped in an earlier episode, and may have existing ties with the current crop of Bat heroes.

Poison Ivy and Penguin are both iconic Batman villains, and bringing them to Batwoman is a strong declaration of faith in Ryan Wilder⁠. 

Poison Ivy is a meta who can manipulate greenery, and control people using pheromones. Penguin is a physically-deformed criminal mastermind.  

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Both characters have been mentioned in the Arrowverse before⁠⁠—Lex Luthor wrote about Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy in his journal, pre-Crisis, and Penguin was name-dropped by Cluemaster. There is also an inmate in Arkham Asylum named O. Cobblepot⁠—but they haven’t yet appeared on-screen. Allowing Ryan and Luke to face-off against A-list villains shows confidence in the show and in the characters.

Batwoman Season 3 New Characters

Dougray Scott (Jacob Kane) exited as a series regular post-Season 2, but Batwoman is shoring up the ranks with a new series regular: Victoria Cartagena will be joining the cast as Renee Montoya for the third season. Montoya has seen several on-screen incarnations in recent years, including in Birds of Prey and Gotham, where she was—pause for dramatic impact—also played by Cartagena.

I guess #Reneemontoya and I have some unfinished business❤️ So very excited to join this new group of talented artists, writers & crew who are doing their thing over here! They have welcomed me wholeheartedly! Grateful, humbled, hype AF… #batwoman #fullcircle https://t.co/eeNCmptT7v

— Victoria Cartagena (@VickiCartagena) July 20, 2021

This version of the character is not intended to be related to the Gotham version. She is (via Deadline) a “former GCPD officer who left the force when she could no longer stomach the corruption inside the department. She now runs the ‘freaks division,’ which hasn’t seen a lot of action… until now. Righteous and pragmatic, and LGBTQ+, she’s a woman with a very personal (and mysterious) mission to help clean the streets of Gotham in the right way, by whatever means necessary.”

We’ll also get Nick Creegan as Marquis Jet, who, according to Deadline: “A sexy playboy who grew up in a lavish lifestyle, Marquis is too charming for his own good and wields his power with a ne’er do well attitude. He views life as one big joke and that sense of recklessness has a tendency to clash horribly with his no-nonsense mother Jada Jet. When he meets Ryan (Leslie), he sees in her a like-minded young go-getter who like him is just waiting for the right opportunity to make his mark on Gotham.”

What are you excited for in Batwoman Season 3? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Batwoman Season 3: Batwing, New Gotham Villains, Promise Wild Year appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2V2jB9z

[valeriemperez]

Do you think the effects of Barry pushing Iris away in the last episode may still be felt going into next week? I kind of got the sense that the scene in Ralph's office was meant to hint at that (otherwise why not just show Barry packing up without any appearance from Iris?). And in the 4x19 promo it almost looks like they're both a bit on edge (even in the scene where Snart and Barry are leaving the cortex and Iris is at the console).

I didn’t notice them looking on edge with each other in the promo, but I’m sure they’re generally stressed given the circumstances. As for there being effects of him pushing her away or not, we will find out in a few days. I think it makes sense for them to have a conversation about how they’re in this together, as a refresher for the final showdown and juxtaposition against the Devoes. But I don’t think it’s gonna be any kind of extreme angst.

½ I get that people weren’t happy with that last WA scene, especially since it was over Ralph of all people, but some of the reactions I’ve seen from other wa fans have been a bit over the top. Not only are there people now insisting Barry doesn’t love Iris as much she loves him, I’ve also seen a few fans call him abusive. I don’t know maybe it’s because WA has had the least amount of drama out of all the couples I’ve shipped, but as much as I didn’t like the scene, it didn’t bother me as much2/2 as it bothered other people. I do hate that sounds like him pushing Iris away is going to continue though, but I guess it has happened every season in some way or another. On another note, I’m really hoping that them having Barry (& the others) having trouble dealing with Ralph’s death doesn’t lead to a twist where he ends up alive again. Though I suspect that’s exactly what will happen since the writers really seem to love him for some reason.

I’m thankfully blessed to have avoided most of those reactions. Like I said before, it’s not my favorite scene but I don’t see it as wildly OOC or even that terrible on Barry’s part. The music and poor Iris’ face made it hurt my heart, but I think Iris knows Barry is dealing with the loss in his own way. I do hope that next episode points out that it’s a loss for Iris too, because I think that’s where the fan discontent stems from. It’s more about Iris not getting to be comforted and supported as much (although she has been a lot more this season, and I’ve loved it. see 4.01 - 4.03, 4.10 - 4.11, 4.16) than it is about Barry asking for space.

But you’re right that WA is the most drama-free couple I’ve ever shipped, and I’m sure they’ll have a talk about supporting each other soon. As for Ralph being alive again? It’s definitely gonna happen in the finale, no doubt about it. I just hope he leaves the show after.

I feel like barry regressed as a character last episode in s2 when his dad died he opened up to iris immediately now ralph dies he needs space? they are married now barry needs stop this nonsense it’s getting annoying your wife was just stabbed and you’re asking for space? And ralph (ugh) was iris’ friend too but whatever terrible writing again

To be fair, Barry also asked for space at the end of season 2. And then he quite literally created it by running back in time and saving his mom. The difference here is that he didn’t give Iris a long speech justifying that space, probably because it was only going to last the duration of his packing.

This is his default move when he experiences a setback, though. We agree on that.

Given that they actually gave Iris a sling that she’s still wearing next week, instead of brushing her stab wound off as if it was nothing, do you think her injury have a storyline or at least a subplot?

I’m sure it will be brought up, and it also shows not much time has past so the latest loss is still fresh in their minds.

So Grant is filming tonight and it looks like Candice’s stunt double is too. I’m intrigued by how much her stunt double appears to be in the finale so far.

Yeah, Candice wrapped for the season at 4am today. Her stunt double (@rochelle_okoye) was filming something last night, but I’m not sure if she specified Flash. Either way, Candice filmed a nice chunk and I hope she gets a cool scene like this week’s again.

Looks like Grant, the Danielle's, Candice, and Candice's stunt double were all filming last. I'm intrigued by why her double was there.

I wonder the same. We can assume Cecile will be important to the battle against the Thinker because of her mind-reading powers, and we can also assume she will give birth. So my guess is they were filming one of those two things yesterday. Or both, lol.

So even in death, we’ll somehow won’t escape Ralph. GG mentioned in an interview that Barry will spend the next few episodes repressing his regret on Ralph’s death.

LOL, we will never be free. But in all seriousness, it makes sense that Barry would be affected.

Personally for me, I don’t like it when Barry goes on his high horse about the morals of killing. It’s like he’s saying killing is black and white with no grey areas. I know it’s suppose to make him moral superior and special than the other heroes in the Arrowverse but I can do without it sometimes.🤷🏾‍♀️

He did say “It’s not self-defense if you’re already thinking about it,” so  he gave his grey area there. He’s certainly never tried to make Joe feel bad for killing anyone as a cop or Iris for killing Savitar.

But I totally get that a lot of people find this side of superheroes to be silly, and I think Flash could explore it a little better than they do.

Barry has so much of his own story in the comics. If they didn’t give him so much of Wally’s story, then maybe they wouldn’t feel like there’s nothing else to tell. Why do I feel like amateurs are running this show? Lol

Because most active fans feel the creators of their favorite shows are amateurs, no matter how experienced they are. But there’s still Barry story to tell, and I’m guessing they’ve been holding off on it. Tornado twins next season, though, I believe!

@eboniangelvibez said:

2/2 When and how will the team discover they’re being watched? Will that factor into WA’s move? How will Marlize escape DeVoe? Will it involve The Weeper and Amunet Black? How will Team Flash find out that The Thinker has been drugging his wife? Since Ralph is the final bus meta consumed by DeVoe can they get him back? When will the symbols that Barry and the Mystery Girl we’re writing be revisited and explained?

I definitely think that they’ll discover it before the finale, just don’t know when. Maybe episode 20 because the title parallels 7, which is when Barry first suspected they were being watched? I imagine Team Flash will discover the drugging first and hopefully Iris will be the one to convince Marlize to leave. 

I think they will save all the bus metas, but they will save Ralph at the bare minimum. I don’t know if the writing will be explained this season, unless it’s connected to defeating Devoe. Otherwise, they’ll wait until next season.

[that-shamrock-vibe]

Point of Interest: Why the Legion of Super-Heroes Introduction is Important to the Arrowverse

So with Supergirl on a break as the CW has seen fit to alternate Mondays between Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow in 2018, I thought I'd give my opinion on one of the show's major plot-points this season which is the introduction of the futuristic Legion of Superheroes and also validate why I feel this is one of the shared universe's greatest strengths at present.

Backstory:

So who are The Legion? Well in the comics they debuted in Adventure Comics #237 way back in April 1958 as a team based in the 30th Century who were founded by teenage Superman superfans Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl in honour of their idol Kal-El aka Superman. As the decades have gone on and the fanbase has increased for the team they have become more of a mainstay in the comics and now serve almost as the futuristic version of the Titans or Young Justice team being a law enforcement organisation with its own rules and regulations for protecting the peace.

Throughout the years and several reboots the team has recruited many “Legionnaires” including Superman while he was still teenage Superboy, Brainiac 5, Supergirl, Mon-El and Superboy aka Kon-El. There are also many others however none have been introduced in any media outside the comics or as fan-service cameos when the Legion has appeared in the DC Animated Universe.

Arrowverse Version:

While this isn’t the team’s first appearance in live-action, it is the first major recurring appearance having only made minor appearances or cameos beforehand which I will discuss further down. Having said that, during the first half of the season they have pretty much been in the background as a team aside from episode 10 which was titled “Legion of Super-Heroes” so it makes sense they were in the foreground for that one but the three episodes that followed before the mid-season break did not really focus on them as a team and instead individuals, more specifically Mon-El and his arranged marriage to Imra despite his feelings for Kara and also Brainy being jealous of Winn. Also it does seem as if we are not going to see any more Legionnaires outside of these three and personally I feel that is a missed opportunity for the show and the Arrowverse at large.

Now of course as I stated before Mon-El has been a member of The Legion in the comics before however in the most recent incarnation as I think it has been through two reboots in the team’s tenure. However everyone did guess that when Mon-El went through that portal at the end of Season 2 that he was going to the future and would join The Legion. However I do not think anyone expected him to start up the team let alone lead it because again he’s never done that in the comics. Some fans have theorized that this version of the character is a composite of both Mon-El and Superboy from the comics which I find personally weird because that would effectively make him and Kara cousins but maybe that’s a thing on Daxam and Krypton and who are we to judge? But also it is stated that Mon-El formed the Legion of Super-Heroes in honor of Supergirl and I personally do not like that even though it’s her series because the team is supposed to be a Superman fan club and changing the foundation of a long-standing team such as this is just in service to the girl power theme the show constantly pushes.

For instance in Gotham recently they have made Barbara Kean the new Demon’s Head as she is now the leader of the League of Shadows...however from what was teased in the reveal it does seem it is going to be largely focused on the Sisters of the League which is a deviation from the comics but a different spin which I personally like. But if the Legion of Super-Heroes has no deviation from the source material and is supposedly the same team that it should have the same foundation, especially considering Superman has already been introduced into the series and we have seen a Legion Flight Ring in the Fortress of Solitude suggesting he has already met them...

Saturn Girl is the only founding member of the original team to be introduced into the Arrowverse and personally I am okay with that because of the three I find her the most interesting. I am not too keen thus far on Amy Jackson’s performance as she seems more robotic than Brainiac 5 and he is essentially a robot whereas Imra is supposed to be an alien woman from Saturn’s Moon of Titan, which on a side-note is another example of there being co-morbidity between DC and Marvel because of course Titan is the homeworld of Marvel supervillain Thanos which we will apparently visit in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War. Irregardless I do like how they have depicted her telepathic powers so far, again they have not shown much but in terms of being an actual vigilante she is the one to get the most screen-time as she teamed up with Supergirl, Livewire and Psi on that mission to Fort Rozz. Again this does seem like Supergirl as a series pushing the female agenda given that the character’s introduction to the series was announced at the start of the season and Brainiac 5 who is male was only announced when he was introduced in Episode 10.

Speaking of Brainiac 5, I am a massive fan of all things Brainiac. I think in his original form he is a superb supervillain and a perfect nemesis for Superman. He has had many great incarnations in various media including TV Series’ both animated and live-action most recently Krypton which I am starting to watch along with everything else I am watching and my uni work, but also in video games most notably Injustice 2. In the comics Brainiac 5, also known formally as Querl Dox is originally thought to be the great-great-grandson of the original Brainiac who is ashamed of his ancestor’s villainous deeds and makes it his mission to atone for them by joining The Legion. However it is later revealed Brainiac is in fact an android and Querl Dox descends from Brainiac 2 but is apparently cloned from Brainiac 1. It’s all very confusing and to be fair Supergirl does nothing to even address Brainy’s origins so unless you want to know it’s not something you have to know. I am not overly keen on Brainy’s design, for a start he’s blue whereas in the comics he’s green and secondly he has hair that makes him look like Doc Brown from Back to the Future as opposed to the shorter more youthful blonde look he has in the comics. I do appreciate them using the three dots motif that the original Brainiac is known for and also that Season 1 villain Indigo aka Brainiac 8 also had despite that fact Brainiac 5 usually does not sport them in the comics and they do make the character look slightly cartoonish.

On the subject of Indigo, there is thus far no mention or reference to suggest that Brainy and Indigo are in any way related to each other despite the fact that one is called Brainiac 5 and one is called Brainiac 8 and they both come from the same planet just 10 centuries apart from each other. Also it is slightly puzzling that a modern day Brainiac is called 8 whereas a futuristic Brainiac is called 5 but I digress. I know I haven’t really reviewed Supergirl as I have done with Arrow and The Flash but again since starting uni I cannot fit in episodic reviews of shows I watch anymore because I barely have the time to do movie reviews these days, but just to get my thoughts out there I really disliked how Indigo looked. Firstly she looked more like Mystique than how she does in the comics, again if they had made her green it would have been more faithful. Also Laura Vandervoort tried god bless her but her superhero heyday was as Supergirl in Smallville.

Now the series has referenced another Legionnaire, I think Mon-El mentioned having a friend in the 31st century named Ayla who in the comics is the Legionnaire codenamed Lightning Lass who is the sister of founding member Lightning Lad. The team has stated there are at least three unidentified members other than themselves so both Lightning Lass and Lightning Lad could be members as well as Cosmic Boy because the latter two along with Saturn Girl have always been the founding members in all incarnations of the team. However again why there has been no mention of a Rokk or Garth even by Imra yet there has been mention of an Ayla is maddening to me because again it’s pushing the female members of the team more than the original and faithful members.

On a final note about this universe’s version of the team. I do not like the fact the team are uniformed identically, it really annoys me. As much as I love the X-Men film franchise it annoys me about them too because it almost strips them of their identity. Particularly when you consider Team Arrow, Team Flash, the Legends, every supervillain depicted and even Black Lightning all have costumes similar to the comics.

Previous Versions:

As I mentioned earlier this isn’t the first incarnation of The Legion outside of the comics, the first that came to my attention was on Smallville Season 8 which is also a CW DC series and in my opinion did more in 1 episode to establish the team than Supergirl has done in the series so far. For a start they introduced the team with the original founding members Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl, they established the team was founded on what they believed was Superman’s ideals, also they allowed the creation of Brainiac 5 and depicted the origin of said character in a more organic way than established here. Yes they went straight from Brainiac to Brainiac 5 by simply reprogramming the original which I guess brings in the clone angle from the comics but either way it was pretty straight forward and the recurring villain that James Marsters brilliantly portrayed for 5 seasons on and off transitioned into the reformed hero when he returned in Season 10. Also Supergirl is briefly a member during Season 10 as she goes to the future before going off to fight in the war on New Krypton.

Other than live-action the team has made multiple appearances in animation, firstly in the DC Animated Universe of the 90s-Early 00s and then in their own, albeit short-lived, series trying to capitalize on the success of the original Teen Titans series.

Benefits to the Arrowverse:

So now we’ve gone over who the Legion of Superheroes are, why do I believe the team are one of the stronger current installments to the Arrowverse?

Well the Legion’s primary base of operations is in the 31st Century, now yes while the Earth-38 (Supergirl’s reality) variant of the team is currently operating in present day, they could easily travel back to their own time and even take Supergirl with them to see what the future is like either if Reign remains victorious or after she is defeated.

However as has been stated numerous times, the Multiverse consists of 53 different realities including 16 numbered Earths, 5 unidentified Earths and the Nazi ruled Earth-X. Also it his widely known that there are various doppelgangers of most characters. Barry Allen of Earth-1 has an Earth-2 counterpart as well as Killer Frost, Cisco Ramon, Ronnie Raymond, Martin Stein, Iris West, Joe West, Nora Allen, Oliver Queen, Robert Queen, Floyd Lawton and David Singh as well as Earth-X counterparts of Kara Zor-El, Oliver Queen, Tommy Merlyn, James Olsen, Felicity Smoak, Winn Schott and Leonard Snart. Also seemingly a Harrison Wells on every Earth. So it does stand to reason that on at least a couple of Earths there are variants of the Legion of Superheroes.

Also because the team operates in the 31st Century, Barry Allen or the Legends could travel to the future and meet them in order for the team to ally them in a mission. This could also introduce new members including founders Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad, that’s just on Earth-1. Also it is a public fan-theory that Smallville exists on one of the 53 Earths which already has its own Legion team so that is already another variant right there.

I do not believe the Legion can hold it’s own series for the pure and simple reason that Legends of Tomorrow is already a team series and the similarities are too close. However they could easily become recurring support for Supergirl, the Legends or Team Flash potentially in a future four-way crossover or a two-part story in one of the four series’ the universe comprises of.

So what do you guys think? Do you think the Legion of Superheroes has a place in the Arrowverse or do you think they’re just a plot-device on the current season of Supergirl. Post your comments and check out more DC TV posts as well as other posts.

[bojasonwalker]

☰

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Batwoman Star Calls Javicia Leslie’s Casting a “Blessing"

Aaron Perine

10/15/2020 07:00 pm EDT

Batwoman actor Camrus Johnson calls the series’ recasting a “blessing.” Much has been made of the switch from Ruby Rose to Javicia Leslie. Fans of the Arrowverse didn’t know what to think, but Johnson told Inverse that the casting will be such a moment for fans who can see themselves in the actress. Now, Leslie will be Ryan Wilder in the show instead of being Kate Kane. But, she acknowledged how big it was for her to be in this spot in a previous statement. She said, “I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show, which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community.” Johnson believes it has the potential to be a landmark moment for young Black viewers at home too.

“Oh, she's so awesome! I'm so, so excited to be working with her. I got to see her do a stunt and she broke into a huge smile before they even said cut,” Johnson remembered. “You could just tell that the little Black girl in her was like, ‘I cannot believe I'm Batwoman right now.’ I cannot wait for every other little Black girl in the world to be able to see her, to be able to see a Black female superhero in the Batsuit. It's such a blessing to be in a show that can remind them that there are icons for them to look up to.”

Former series star Ruby Rose actually talked about her decision to walk away from the series with SiriusXM recently as well.

"It wasn't that. That definitely made going back to work so quickly tricky, but they really accommodated trying to help me out the best they could, going back so early, because we wanted to obviously meet the release date of the show," Rose began. "I think what played a bigger part was more, we got shut down early. We didn't get to finish the first season, which is such a shame, especially for a first season show. And then we went into lockdown with COVID and thinking of in quarantine and locked down, there was a lot of thought and reflection and kind of everyone did it. We all kind of thought about where we're at and so Warner Brothers and [producer] Greg [Berlanti], and we were discussing the show and we had a conversation."

"I had a great time on Batwoman," Rose admitted. "I am so proud of what we achieved. We set out to achieve something pretty significant, you know, the first-ever live-action Batwoman and the first-ever, out gay superhero, her and Kate Kane. And I love that character and the whole experience, but we did have a discussion and we sort of mutually agreed that probably what was best for the show at the time was that they go in a different direction and I go in a different direction.”

“It was tough, because it was sad cause we will love each other, but also it made sense for so many different reasons. And I think at the end of the day, I'm really excited to watch season two,” she added. “I think the show is great. I love the cast. I'm still in contact with everyone, but it was, it was a decision that we talked about, we discussed, we slept on. But at the time with all that reflection, it just seemed like the right thing to do."

Are you excited to see the new Batwoman in action? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.

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[aion-rsa]

The Art of Bringing a Shadow and Bone Scene to the Screen

https://ift.tt/33t8mqU

This Shadow and Bone article contains major spoilers for Episodes 5 & 6.

As the director behind Episode 5, “Show Me Who You Are,” and 6, “The Heart is An Arrow,” of Shadow and Bone, Mairzee Almas was behind the camera for some of the major turning points of Season 1. These episodes see Alina and General Kirigan’s romantic interlude, Baghra’s reveal that Aleksander is actually the Black Heretic, and the coming together of the Crows and Alina for the first time. It’s when the season really kicks into a higher gear. Den of Geek talked to Almas—whose work you have previously seen on shows like The 100, Outlander, the Arrowverse, Jessica Jones, Shadowhunters, and Smallville—about bringing the Grishaverse, and some of these emotional and game-changing moments, to the screen.

The Work of a TV Director

“When you are a director for hire, you come in and receive the script and your job is to present the visual interpretation of the script,” explains Almas, when asked to explain the job of a TV director in simple terms. “As one of the collaborative artists on set, I take the script, I break it down, I think about the character journeys. I try to elevate the material, try to elevate the script, try to support the actors in creating their very best performances, understanding that they have a journey to make in your episode or episodes.” 

Of course, for every director, the process of interpreting said script looks a little bit different. For Almas, she works by grounding the visual interpretation in the performances of the actors. “I start from an acting point of view, a performer’s point of view. It’s all about the performance. It starts and really ends with that. Everything else that we do is to support that proponent and to tell a story in a compelling way, right?”

For Almas, this means sitting down with the actors to discuss and articulate their character’s journey in the episode or episodes: “I would sit with the actors and say ‘How are you different at the end of the episode than you were from the beginning? Where are the moments where your character has agency, where they had a decision they could make? They could go left, they could go right, but they made this choice instead of that choice. And where are these big pivotal moments for your character?’” 

The script is the source from which all other action will come, but Almas says the moments to be captured on screen are often up for some interpretation, which gives the director and actors space to collaborate on a specific vision.

“We’ll work it out so that we’re in a collaborative agreement,” explains Almas. “Where are these moments? And then I might say, ‘Oh, it’s on this line’ or ‘It’s around in here where you make a decision,’ and the actor may say ‘No, no, I think I made it earlier. It was over here.’”

Once the director and actor agree on an interpretation of the scene, Almas says she will design the shots and blocking to support that moment.

“I will always try to find a way to have the camera support the subtext of the scene, and make sure that everything we are doing, whether it’s the blocking or the camera work, are really supporting what’s going on underneath the scene.”

On that note, let’s dive into some of the scenes from Episodes 5 and 6 that Almas directed. I encourage you to watch the scenes before or after reading Almas’ commentary. I’ve included the time codes for reference.

The Palace Party Scene

Episode 5, 20:20 – 27:22

Den of Geek: This seems like a massive scene. Was this one of the largest scenes that you had to direct in the two episodes?

Mairzee Almas: Yes. It was a big scene with a lot of people, with a lot of moving parts. This was of course was done in the beautiful castle of Keszthely in Hungary. Many of our background performers did not speak English, but, honestly, people in Europe manage thousands of languages, it seems, and we North Americans can barely stumble through one.

You had a really long shot coming into the party too.

Yeah, so big steadicam shot to try and feel the energy of all of the people and see some of the beautiful costumes that Wendy [Partridge] has managed to get, to create.

How many extras did you have? I mean, I’m guessing this is a few different sequences this party altogether, but it seems like there’s a lot of people.

There’s a lot of people, I think we had somewhere 250, something like that. 

And this is also really exciting because it’s really the first time we see the Six of Crows and the Shadow of Bone world coming together and the adaptation. Was that something that you guys talked about or that you really thought about when you were directing this?

Yes. For sure. Whenever we were bringing these two different literary worlds together it was important and fun and new and fresh, which was great fun. The Crows, of course they are the the heist vibe, a little like Oceans 11.

Yeah, I’m seeing that in the format of what you’re viewing here, with that quick pan cut.

Yeah. That was something that Lee [Toland Kreiger] had started in the pilot with this idea of a whip pan, it’s called, to go from one thing to the next, which is really fun and gives you that immediacy. We just did one right there. When we were going between storylines, between storyline characters, it was very good.

Something else that stood out to me about this episode and this scene, I think is we get more of Aleksander’s point of view. I feel like this is the episode that you have to kind of sell the viewer on Aleksander before you get that real turn. What was your view on that?

Like any good antagonist, he truly believes 100% in what he’s doing. And I think the character believes that what he is doing is the right thing and the right thing for the people, for his people, the Grisha. And I think he has been waiting for Alina for hundreds of years. He’s been waiting for this woman to be his equal, to be someone who understands him, to be his partner. And he is lonely and he has a deep ache for her. So he’s not playing it like just a hollow manipulator who doesn’t care. He has genuinely been waiting. And I think that the more the actor, Ben [Barnes], the more he is able to invest that character with a need, the more real it is, the more loving it is.

Yeah. He does a good job.

He does a good job. Yeah. And I was sowing a little bit of seeds in there with Genya and David as well.

Yeah. They don’t get a lot of screen time in the first season, but I know that a lot of fans of the book are really excited to see their dynamic. And there’s a cool shot of the Crows with the chandelier in the foreground right there.

Yeah. Thank you. And that was just to show that Kaz’s skepticism about Alina being a saint and the consummate con man doesn’t believe anything. 

Alina is having quite a growth in this episode and I believe that Kirigan wants the best for everyone. He wants the best for his people and he wants the best for her. And he wants finally, finally, he wants to have a partner.

As you were saying before you had those conversations, I’m assuming, with Ben and Jessie [Mei Li] as you were directing these scenes.

Absolutely. And I think when we get later to the scene, when we were talking about the kiss and then Marko’s entrance, there’s a real adult kind of turn to that, as opposed to the childhood sweethearts that she had before. So things were changing for her and this is… we’re seeing it here is her becoming an adult, essentially growing up and starting to own her power. And as my grandmother would say “Settling into her hips.” Becoming a full grown adult woman, this is her beginning of that.

She seems so happy here. It’s kind of it’s sad knowing what’s going to happen after, but it’s also still great.

I mean, it’s the story about outcasts and people outside who have no place. And she’s finally feels like she has somewhere to be in and a community to be a part of. Finally, finally, finally, only to have it torn away from her again.

So logistically when you’re filming a scene like this, with the lighting changing abruptly while the Grisha do their thing, do you have different colored lights on set?

We did. And my director of photography is this incredibly talented man named Aaron Morton, who was fabulous. So we had a crane for the camera in this space, but we also had a crane with lights on it so that the lights could shift over top of people. So we could do both for the red lights when the Inferni were playing with fire, but also for Alina’s display. So we were moving light above and over people. Then the visual effects adjusted it and sort of gave it a texture. But really the moving of the light was done practically.

I’m going to end here, for this scene, but this was one of my favorite shots, coming in slowly on Inej and seeing Amita’s performance, I think it’s so beautiful as she gets to see Alina as the Sun Summoner.

Yeah. This is somebody, a character who is deeply religious, but if you think about what her background has been and how she has been abused and in the Menagerie, and what kind of terrible experience she’s had without any control in her life or any say in what has happened to her or her body, you have a sense that her religion is what has gotten her through to get to this moment to, to be alive, to still be alive.

That Darklina Scene & Baghra’s Reveal

Episode 5, 39:28- 46:31

OK, now we’re back with Kirigan and Alina, and they’re just having a nice time. Yeah. This is a beautifully shot scene and you have this, this moment coming up where you actually see their shadows on the wall behind them. Could you talk about that?

We have a bit of flares with Alina because she is the Sun Summoner, but yeah, I orchestrated the shadow. I mean, I had to choreograph the actors to find that shadow moment, and bless their little cotton socks because it’s sort of an artificial bit of movement for them. But it worked for them both. And I was curious if people would even see that if anybody would notice it or not.

https://falllingthroughspace.tumblr.com/post/649550888476737536/light-and-shadow

I’ve definitely seen people talking about it on social media.

Oh, they have?

Yeah, for sure. And then talk about the logistics of like a kiss as well. Because it seems like another thing to stage. Not to take the romance out of it…

Right, but it is a stage and you’ll see exactly where his hands are and what he’s doing, and he’s picked her up and he’s put her on the table. I mean, they are about to escalate it to where perhaps she has never been. And this is part of her becoming an adult and then they knock on the door being interrupted again. I go through it with the actors, exactly where the camera’s going to be, what I expect from them, what they’re going to do. And we make sure that they are 100% comfortable with everything and it’s done in a way that it’s private with them, with me and both of them and then me and separately with them, just to chat and make sure that they feel comfortable with what we’re talking about doing. And does it feel right for the character and not gratuitous in any way?

I do love that moment right there when you hold on Alina, and he comes back in frame kind of like a surprise, to kiss her again…

So that was a Ben Barnes special. Ben said “I really want to do this.” 

And then see how, what I was doing here with the cameras, trying to do a little bit of a wrap around her, letting her be a little overwhelmed by her background. And in the kissing scene, in this whole sequence before Baghra comes in, the camera is wrapping a little bit. And that, again, makes the background around her feel like it’s moving. So she’s a little unsettled, things are happening pretty quickly to her. And it helps that something about subtext where we as an audience can feel what she’s feeling a little bit. 

So a director’s job is not just to dictate the script as written out, it’s to try and find a way to take the audience on this roller coaster ride that the characters are on. And, as a director, with the script of course, sometimes the audience should be with the character, sometimes they’re behind the character, sometimes they’re ahead of the character, but we plot that very carefully and make sure that we’re maximizing the emotional experience for the audience. And really that’s the most important thing is they really have to have a visceral experience. And so whenever you can join in with Alina and what’s going on for her and then to have it so rudely stripped away from her with Baghra coming in…

Such a tonal shift. From Alina’s point of view, everything is going so well with Kirigian, and then we’re in this dungeon-like hallway.

Right, and it’s so much fun because you can see that there’s respect for Baghra, but at the same time, Alina is like “What’s the matter with you? It’s been too hot in your hut, your brain isn’t working, you know, come on. What, what’s the matter with you?”

She’s frustrated.

She’s very frustrated. She’s waiting… he said he’d be right back and then Baghra’s there talking about the Heretic.

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Yeah. It’s a real shift for her. And it’s a real shift for the viewer.

Yeah. And then she finally stops Baghra, she jumps in front of her and stops her. “What are you doing? Stop.” And then Zoe Wanamaker—whom I love, absolutely love. I just want a whole spin-off series just with Zoe. Baghra’s fireside chats…

I would love that.

And this is really a lot of exposition that happens in the scene, but you do it so well, and these actors are selling it so well that it doesn’t feel like you’re just listening to information.

Right. And one of the challenges to this… Thank you for saying that. One of the big challenges to this scene is we’ve just built all this time for Alina to start to fall in love with Aleksander. And I can’t have her appear fickle, so somebody comes along and says “Oh, but he’s really a bad guy.” And then she has to believe him or her, rather, she has to fall into that immediately. Like why? And so Baghra has to work at this and this photograph, this painting is to show that. A several hundred years ago version of him that you don’t really pay off until I think episode six, and see his clean shaven face. But she has to convince Alina of his ill intent and terrify her. He isn’t a boy at all. He is eternal and he never stood a chance. I remember on set, having chills when Zoe says “You must hide.” 

She’s such a powerful actress.

She is. Yeah.

I’d love to hear more about Jessie too. Because she obviously has way less experience than someone like Zoe Wanamaker and just carries so much of the show, so well.

She does, she’s got a lot of natural, innate talent, obviously. Jessie does. And the character is her on some level, right? I mean, she is going through a sort of a transformation herself, her own life echoes this somewhat, being kind of taken from somewhere, not really known and then brought into this big new world.

Yeah. Is that something you talked about on set?

A little bit. I mean, one of the things that I like, I love working with actors, let me start with saying that. And one of the things that I really enjoy doing is working with the actors to craft a performance over the entire episode. And in fact, over the entire season and to talk to them about how they, as an actor, how they are the author of their character on a lot of levels. They have to infuse the character with all of the truth and the honesty, and they have to be brave. And for Jessie to understand that she has a huge part in creating this character. Yeah, it’s in a book series and yeah, here we are, it’s in the script. Yeah, all that’s true, but she has to bring her own humanity and her own fear and her own bravery and all of those things to the character. And so what we were always looking for are those honest moments, those very, very honest moments for the actors to really connect. And part of that was by throwing all of your attention on the other character that you’re in the scene with. And just understanding that you, as an actor, you are enough, you are in it and the casting is done. You are that person, you are that. And to trust that by the time we’re on set all of the work, you did all of the rehearsals, all of the research you did for your character, it’s there. You’ve got to trust it’s there and now just allow yourself to be present. And she just naturally did that, and had some really terrific performances as a result.

Yeah. Yeah. That seems especially important for a young cast like this. Obviously there’s some veteran actors in Shadow and Bone, but there’s a lot of relatively new people.

You know, even the veteran actors like Zoe. I mean even veteran actors, everybody needs to be reminded of that as well. Every once in a while, just that you, you are enough and it’s all there. If you just trust it and just be present. And they were always working on that. So that’s why they were just very, very good. You know, Ben and Jessie together are phenomenal. Ben and Baghra, Ben and Zoe are amazing together as well.

How long did you have to shoot you two episodes? Was it one block?

Mairzee Almas:

It was one block. And I honestly cannot remember how many days we had. Something like 20 to 24, something like that. That’d be 12 or 14 days per episode is my guess.

Nina and Matthias at Sea

Episode 6, 8:00 – 10:04

So we’re going to jump ahead to the next episode, episode six and catch up with Nina and Matthias, who are not having a good time.

No, no, they are not.

This is a short scene, but I wanted to ask you about it because water filming is notoriously difficult.

Oh my Lord. So here we are in the winter in Hungary, this is a water tank that our special effects team built in a studio space, but it was still cold. The water was heated as much as it could be, but you can’t heat it too much, otherwise there’s steam coming off of the people. So it was cold. And it’s a tank with guys, special effects guys on the sides with literally oil drums, with a stick attached to them that they’re pushing back and forth to create the waves. We have huge fans coming from many directions pointing at these guys and rain towers and rain wands so that is spraying water at these guys and all of it with the back splash, that is a green screen, so that in the wide shot, we can add a visual effects environment. But the water is quite deep.

As I recall, I think that Danielle [Galligan], Nina, could stand up on her tippy toes and keep her mouth out of the water.

That sounds intense and it sounds loud.

It was intense. It was loud. They had to ADR all of their dialogue because of the heavy machines that were running throughout all of it. And the water depth, as I recall, had to be that deep because Calahan [Skogman] is so tall and so that he didn’t have to kind of crouch and to make it real so they could float, he had to do a lot of that swimming.

It was really difficult. The two of them were absolute rock stars through this. There’s just no way around it. They had to be soaking wet in all that wardrobe.

Do you know how long you were filming this for?

Oh, golly gee, I’m going to say it was about eight hours.

They’re really earning their paycheck here.

Yeah. It was very difficult. And then of course them coming, not just this portion, but getting onto the shore and walking off as well.

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Were there any Titanic references made while you were filming?

I’m afraid there were, and we stood there and we said “You know what? Jack could have fit on the door. Jack could have fit on the door!

That’s exactly what I thought as I was watching it. But I was also like, this is like a healing experience for me, years later to see them both survive, you know?

Yeah. That’s right. And these two are such wonderful people. When we were doing the auditions for Matthias, Danielle was part of them. And I think I auditioned five or six guys, put them all on tape, and with Danielle playing all these various scenes with these different guys, it was really fun to play with her. And she’s so alive and so awake. She’s just a fantastic actor, really terrific.

So you were involved with the audition process?

Yes, at this point. I think I had arrived in Hungary the day before, and then we were bringing in all of these young actors from all over the world to audition with Danielle and to do a little chemistry feel and honestly, they had already winnowed this pile of guys down to around five, and they were all spectacular. They were all spectacular by this point. They were really, really great choices. So it was an embarrassment of riches, but you know, Calahan was fantastic. He just won it, he just had that extra something. 

Conclusions

Those are the three scenes that I wanted to talk to you about. I honestly feel like I could watch both of these episodes and talk to you about all of them, because there’s so much in here, but I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me about what we did see.

Yeah. That’s my pleasure. And I’m so glad that you saw the shadow. I honestly didn’t think you guys would see that. I’m so happy you did. And look for other things in there where you can see the camera definitely trying to support whatever the subtext of that character is. And there’s lots of those. And that was something my director of photography, and I, we went through a lot and said, “I really want the audience to have a visceral experience here.”

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