This year we had to bid farewell to some fan favorites and some we didn't even have a chance to be fans of before cancellation.

The real question is whether these finales provided a satisfying resolution for their respective series?

Scroll down to find out which shows made our best and worst list.

Queen of the South – Best

Queen of the South had one of the best finales of 2021.

The final episode was an intriguing, heart-pounding ride that managed to stay true to its drug cartel roots, answer the flash-forwards fans have pondered for years, and give us an epic happy ending.

Every twist and turn from Teresa's "death" to Pote's capture left us on the edge of our seats.

And even though we lost some of our favorite characters this season (it's a narco show, so that's to be expected), our hearts sored as Pote finally got to meet his daughter. Teresa's inner circle found their version of Zihuatanejo. 

Good Witch – Worst

Most of the couples ended up happy.

However, Hallmark broke up Abigail and Donovan in the series finale.

This after they spent three years trying to break the Merriwick and Davenport curse to get their happy ending.

We didn't appreciate them breaking up a long-term, fan-favorite couple at the end.

Wynonna Earp – Best

Wynonna Earp's finale provided such an emotional ride for fans.

Of course we want more, but the emotional goodbyes we received were perfection. 

We will miss Wynnona, Waverly, Nicole, Doc, Jeremy, and everyone else in the Ghost River Triangle, but the finale wrapped all of the major plot threads beautifully. 

If we receive more from the Earps (in any medium), we'll be grateful, but for now, this is a brilliant ending.

Cowboy Bebop – Worst

This live-action remake of the beloved anime series was an ambitious project by any measure, and the season managed to live up to the style and pacing of the source material for the most part.

Unfortunately, the original series had a definitive end where the live-action was looking to run for a couple of seasons at least. This meant that the finale went off-the-rails as the climactic showdown between Fearless/Spike and Vicious played out.

Julia's interjection was understandable and satisfying on some levels, but her ultimate revenge on both men was disappointing and inconclusive. Worse than that, the narratives of the three core cast members were all left twisting in the wind. 

On top of that, the final scene introduces Ed and brings back Ein, teasing a new adventure with the hacker superteam. Alas, Netflix pulled the plug on the series just 21 days after its drop, effectively killing any hope of seeing what Ed and Ein were recruiting Spike for.

Supergirl – Best

Supergirl had one of the best series finales this year.

The final episode brought back fan-favorites Winn, Mon-El, and James to help defeat Lex.

Everyone was there for Alex and Kelly's wedding day. Brainy realized he loved Nia more than the future and returned, declaring his love for her.

And our heroine, Kara, finally decided to have it all. She became editor-in-chief of CatCo with Cat Grant and came clean about being Supergirl.  

Good Girls – Worst

This wasn't necessarily the worst finale, but it left a lot to be desired.

Good Girls wasn't supposed to end like this, but the series' untimely cancellation meant a season finale had to transform itself into a series finale, which is almost impossible to pull off. Annie getting arrested, and the ladies all splintered apart by the time the credits rolled was sad.

There were so many loose threads still out there, and for that reason alone, we can't possibly put this on the best list. But we say that with a very heavy heart. 

Superstore – Best

When it came to sending a series off in style with a perfect understanding of the show's mission, characters, and storylines over the years, Superstore understood the assignment.

America Ferrera returned to the series to provide fans of Jonah and Amy a satisfying reunion that they earned, followed by a time jump that revealed they had children of their own. Via that time jump, we also saw that the Cloud 9 crew were still close and met up with each other frequently, like a family. 

It was a realistic ending. The store's parent company decided to shut down physical stores and switch to online shopping, which led to mass layoffs of thousands of employees, including our beloved crew.

It was their reward for barely squeaking by, working overtime during the pandemic, as capitalism swallowed them whole and spat them out with little respect. But somehow, while staying true to the bleak reality of capitalism on the working class, the finale was still hopeful and upbeat. 

On My Block – Worst

It wasn't the absolute worst thing in the world, but it was an underwhelming finale. The core four spent the opening part of the season fractured and not working through their differences after becoming distant from each other for over a year. Most of them didn't get much of a happy ending either.

It was heartbreaking and frustrating that Jasmine had to give up her dream of going to Berkeley to stay home and care for her father. She was supposed to conquer the world, not have her light extinguished.

Oscar's demise before his child was born was one of the most devastating parts of the season, and we never found out who was behind his death. Cesar and Monse didn't exactly find their way back to each other; we lost Abuelita, have no idea what Ruby's future plans are, and storylines about the rollerworld money were incomplete.

It felt like they rushed to wrap up the series, and it was generally unfulfilling all around. 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine – Best

After a shortened season plagued with identity issues, Brooklyn Nine-Nine went out on a high. 

The annual heist served as the perfect vehicle for allowing the characters to say goodbye.

It was fun and poignant. 

Even though the characters will no longer all be working together daily, it's comforting to know they'll always be part of each other's lives. Nine-Nine!

YOU – Worst

YOU's Season 3 finale wasn't the worst ending in the world, but it was very underwhelming compared to Joe's adventures in the past.

The final battle against Love had been building up in the prior episodes, and we knew their toxic relationship needed to reach an end. They were not a good match for each other! 

However, when all was said and done, YOU simply washed any previous development to start fresh for Joe in a new location.

It wasn't the first time Joe moved someplace new and assumed a new identity, so this season finale felt like a cut-and-paste plot just so the show could relieve the magic of the first season. 

Midnight Mass – Best

Midnight Mass finale ended the limited series on a high note.

All of the mysteries and building supernatural tension exploded into utter chaos. 

The finale raged like a wildfire! Townsfolk turned against townfolk. Many were slaughtered, and the effects of the demon (and the growing religious fanaticism) reached its breaking point.

Midnight Mass delivered on its theme of morality, good vs. evil, and hypocrisy in a well-structured and powerful ending that served as the best episode of the season.

Over to you, TV Fanatics!

Which 2021 finales were the best?

The worst?

Hit the comments below. 

The post The Best & Worst TV Finales of 2021 appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Announced in 2017, with an impressive cast attached in 2019, the show experienced a shooting delay when star John Cho sustained an injury and then another when COVID hit.

Today, after a mixed reception from audiences to the ten-episode first season released on November 19, Netflix announced that a second season will not happen.

In case you missed it at its launch, Netflix describes the series as follows:

"COWBOY BEBOP is an action-packed space Western about three bounty hunters, aka 'cowboys,' all trying to outrun the past.

"As different as they are deadly, Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) form a scrappy, snarky crew ready to hunt down the solar system's most dangerous criminals — for the right price.

"But they can only kick and quip their way out of so many scuffles before their pasts finally catch up with them."

TV Fanatic reviewed the series and lauded its overall look, pacing, intriguing characters, and general faithfulness to numerous aspects of the original anime.

However, we were not impressed with the finale, Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 10, where it seemed some key characters forgot their core motivation, and the narrative took a sharp left from the source material in order to leave the possibility of a second season on the table.

As for the global reception to the series, there were two camps of audience reactions.

For the most part, fans of the original series were not happy with the changes to characters and plotlines. Meanwhile, newcomers with an open mind to the unique genre-blending Cowboy Bebop cuts its teeth on were largely positive.

Unfortunately for the series, it would appear that the loud purists made their ire visible while those willing to give it a chance were quietly ignored.

While Cowboy Bebop Season 1 delved into many of the plotlines of the original animated series, it ended with many, many loose ends.

Spike and Jet part ways. That cannot stand, so how do they reconcile?

The last we see of Faye, she's off to visit her childhood home in search of her memories. That's a whole season of adventures in and of itself.

And Ed and Ein, the ultimate hacker duo, are introduced in the VERY. LAST. SCENE. Talk about a tease.

Adapting a series with a following like Cow Bebop's was an ambitious swing at the fences. While Netflix's production had several strong elements, it could not quite hit the sweet spot that both satisfied the anime-faithful crowd and enticed the newbies.

How does this cancellation hit you?

Were you willing to give it another season to hit its stride?

Or were you one who didn't want and didn't welcome another version of what many would deem a perfect series?

Either way, it doesn't look like we'll be Seeing You Space Cowboys (or Cowgirls) any time soon.

The post Netflix Cancels Cowboy Bebop Only 21 Days After Release appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Modern-day series are designed for multiple seasons. The original Cowboy Bebop anime was not. People died (permanently) in the finale. Here, they did not.

Finales should have closure. As the credits roll, there are so many plot doors left swinging open, you'd think a hurricane had hit us.

In the plus column, the truth did out on multiple fronts.

Jet finally learned Spike's secret. Of course, because Spike had sat on it so long, it came in the worst possible way.

(NB. It's always a cheap trick to put a child in peril, but they telegraphed Jet's Achilles Heel all season, so it shouldn't be a surprise that Vicious had Kimmie kidnapped.)

It wouldn't have prevented Kimmie's kidnapping, but it occurs to me that the perfect time to come clean about his Syndicate connections was when Jet and Faye first burst into Ana's club.

Ana had the opportunity to confess her part in the ambush that nearly killed Spike three years ago and explain how she got her limp.

It was obviously a weight of guilt she'd carried all that time.

Vicious was able to stretch his crazy wings fully. Classic villain posturing; he spent a LOT of time waxing poetic. Tip of the hat to the anime source material, once again.

Vicious: When angels are forced out of Heaven, they become devils.

_{🔗 permalink: When angels are forced out of Heaven, they become devils.}

As a bonus, Faye found a kernel of a clue to her identity while searching for Spike at Earthworld. All good.

Faye's surprise rescue from the church was a brilliant touch considering her aircraft was the one she liberated from Whitney's storage locker on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 7.

And that got Kimmie out of the way while Fearless and Vicious tried to kill each other.

It's a fantastic fight, by the way. There's nothing to criticize for action, choreography, camera work, sound. It's an apex fight scene in a season full of stellar battles.

It's also a fight that Vicious won. If Julia hadn't arrived, he would've killed Spike (again).

The Julia twist is where things go a little nutty.

Well, to be fair, Julia's more than a touch mad now too.

Her decision to take hold of the Syndicate's power is such an about-face, it makes my head spin.

First, she offers to share the power with Spike. And when he declines, she shoots him, causing him to fall a LONG way into a body of water.

What the what now?

And then she takes Vicious home so she can play a daily game of Russian Roulette with his life.

(If you'll recall from their first date on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 9, her first language is Russian.)

She tells Spike that he turned her into a monster by staying away all these years, but it looks like the credit really should go to Vicious.

Vicious: There is nothing in this world to believe in. Least of all people. Even the people who are supposed to love you.

_{🔗 permalink: There is nothing in this world to believe in. Least of all people. Even the people who are…}

So, we're left with Vicious alive but possibly not for long, and Julia acting on his behalf in the public sphere of the Syndicate. A Syndicate with no Elders and no capos.

The bridges are burned — incinerated, blasted beyond all recognition — with Jet. His promise to kill Spike if they ever meet again feels genuine.

Faye is gone to find out about her childhood home, and we have NO IDEA how that goes.

Spike survives because, of course, he does.

Jet: I knew you’d survive. That’s what cockroaches do.

_{🔗 permalink: I knew you’d survive. That’s what cockroaches do.}

And in the very final moments, Ein returns with Ed. ED! TEN HOURS into the series, and they bring Ed in for MINUTES! With no context, no explanation, no introduction.

Seriously?

It was a solid series until the finale. It was ambitious in scope and talented in execution.

Not everything worked, and some things worked better than they should've.

But the finale needs to bring it home. And this one got lost. Terribly, horribly lost.

Granted, they left lots of on-ramps for a subsequent season, and that was probably the plan all along.

I'd like to know what happens with Faye's search for her past. What are the chances there are people still alive who knew her? Was it ever established why she was in cryo-sleep in the first place?

It would be nice to see if Jet can patch things up with Kimmie, or at least to know that she's okay.

I honestly think I've had my fill of Spike's drama for a while, but I suspect that if I want to see Ein and Ed(!) in action, Spike Spiegel will be part of the package. It is what it is.

I sincerely hope that Julia and the remnants of the Syndicate fall into the ocean, never to be heard from again.

And Chalmers needs a haircut. Please.

Now, it's your turn to sound off. What did you love? What did you hate? How much meh is hanging in the middle?

Would you be on board for another season? How do you see that playing out?

Who should return? Which omitted characters should make an appearance?

The comments section is your oyster! Fill it with pearls!

Until next time, we'll see you, space cowboy.

The post Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 10 Review: Supernova Symphony appeared first on TV Fanatic.

So far, the season's provided the elements of this triangle that haunt Spike as signposts along the way. We've seen his memories as flashes and, on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 6, all his insecurities actualized by the Londres AI Program.

We know from Mao's request on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 5 that Julia sang professionally before she married Vicious, a talent he now guards jealously.

I'll admit the conversation Fearless and Vicious are having as they wait for their target is more than a little odd, but it sets the tone for their relationship.

They are clearly friends who are comfortable discussing manscaping with each other. So, yeah, there's that.

And, when innocent bystanders witness the hit, we learn that Fearless has a code, while Vicious does not.

All in all, we learn a lot very quickly.

Before the blue suit, Spike wore the black suit of a Syndicate hitman. As Fearless, he not only understood the organization, he was trusted to be Vicious's handler.

Their capo, Stax, is very about his expectations. Fearless MUST keep Vicious from screwing up the negotiations with the Neptune cartel.

Oops.

And that's when the professional tensions begin.

Enter Julia.

We should note a few things about Julia's first performance at Ana's club.

One, she wasn't scheduled. She wasn't even a singer. She was the hair and makeup girl.

Two, she didn't want to perform. Gren and Ana forced her to take the mic.

Three, she only sings one song. Ever.

It's indicative of Fearless and Vicious's respective personalities that, although they are both smitten by Julia's debut, only Vicious makes a move to court her.

Fearless would probably have kept quiet forever if Vicious hadn't been reprimanded for his behavior with the Neptune negotiations, putting him into a funk and prompting him to ask Fearless to partner with Julia on the dance floor.

And Fearless would've continued to keep his love secret if Vicious hadn't killed Ka-Ching in the street, which necessitated Fearless taking a shaken and distraught Julia home.

Ultimately, Vicious made the bed for Fearless and Julia, although they had to choose to use it.

Ana: There’s always a choice. That’s why you came. I haven’t survived on this sweet, spinning sphere by chance. I did it by taking power. You have the power. You control your destiny.

_{🔗 permalink: There’s always a choice. That’s why you came. I haven’t survived on this sweet, spinning…}

Once that stone started rolling, it was always going to end badly.

Ana tried to warn Fearless but probably saw that it was no use.

I have to wonder how Caliban learned of the relationship and whether the leak came from within Ana's establishment.

Ana has always dealt in information, so you'd expect she'd have safeguards for that sort of thing. The Elders could have had eyes on Julia since she was in an "evolving" relationship with Vicious.

Fearless's loyalty to Vicious is his downfall, and it's not like the writing wasn't on the wall.

Massacring the Neptune delegation at the Blue Crow singlehandedly is probably something most killers would take pride in. But not Fearless.

To save Vicious, Fearless breaks his code and kills a child.

Stax: I know you think you owe him. But a sane person would wonder, ‘How long are you gonna pay that debt?’

_{🔗 permalink: I know you think you owe him. But a sane person would wonder, ‘How long are you gonna pay…}

That's the death knell on his life in the Syndicate.

It's not an inspirational love story. Julia and Fearless make choices as reactions rather than with any real goal in mind.

Things are rushed, improvised, careless.

Which, honestly, sounds like a page from Vicious's playbook.

I imagine if they'd come clean with Vicious, there would've been a fight, and Fearless would've died. Permanently. And Julia would've been worse off.

The tragedy is dragged on for years because Fearless doesn't return, allowing everyone to think he'd died.

But, again, letting them know he lived wouldn't have improved things for anyone.

In essence, this is the deep-dive episode for Vicious.

He recounts his childhood trauma of being forced to watch his mother die to Fearless in the very moment Fearless is meant to execute him.

Later, Caliban visits, and it's apparent their relationship has not improved one iota.

There is no excuse to be made for Vicious's behavior and actions. He is the definition of a mad dog that needs putting down. This is true in the present-day as capo, but it was also true when he was still a Syndicate soldier.

Caliban and the other Elders were complicit in their own murders, allowing Vicious to remain in the Syndicate.

Vicious: Everyone thinks they’re so strong. Until they’re not.

_{🔗 permalink: Everyone thinks they’re so strong. Until they’re not.}

I've described this series as a melodrama before. There's nothing wrong with melodramas. They tell stories filled with extremes.

By filling in the backstory of the love(?) triangle, they've illustrated in detail the extreme events that created the present-day situation.

And now, we are prepared for the climactic final confrontation, knowing how everyone got to where they are.

Who are we kidding? I don't think anything will prepare us for the finale.

Who will be left standing? Those of you who know the source material know how that narrative played out.

Based on the tweaks they've made to this adaptation, who has money on a different ending?

Has this adaptation met your expectations? Where has it let you down?

Fill up our comments section with your greatest hits and misses of the series!

The post Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Blue Crow Waltz appeared first on TV Fanatic.

He keeps the Bebop team on the defensive with a monstrous assassin while he makes his move to overthrow the Elders of The Syndicate.

In his double-cross of his fellow capos, he proves that everyone underestimated his planning skills. A mistake that will never be repeated by some.

Considering the many tropes employed throughout the series, it shouldn't be a surprise that a crazy clown makes an appearance.

Enlisting the services of Pierrot LeFou to kill Spike is a no-brainer for Vicious.

Technician: He’s a violent, homicidal loose cannon.

Vicious: Well then, he sounds like my kind of guy.

_{🔗 permalink: Well then, he sounds like my kind of guy.}

They do seem to operate on the same wavelength, which is terrifying in and of itself.

Similar to how Jet's great betrayal on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 5 follows his announcement about choosing Kimmie's name, LeFou's attack follows Faye's improvised birthday bowling celebration.

Faye: I don’t even know when my birthday is.

Spike: Yeah, that’s why we decided to make today your new birthday.

Faye: Wow. You two are the sweetest dickheads a girl could ever want.

_{🔗 permalink: Wow. You two are the sweetest dickheads a girl could ever want.}

It seems a shame that Ein's abilities are only tapped now, nearly at the end of the series. Also, having him rescue the Bebop crew from an unstoppable killer deserves a better reward than being abandoned dockside, don't you think?

I firmly believe that every single adventure this season could have been enhanced exponentially if they'd known they had a datadog (and how to use it). But then, we wouldn't have had the pleasure of Faye's shock at the projector shooting out of Ein's eyes.

LeFou may be insane and sadistic, but he isn't efficient, is he? He has considerable tech and incredible strength. He should have been able to zip onto the scene, snap Spike's neck, and still leave with a flourish.

Mind you, Vicious was probably looking for someone to make Spike suffer.

However, if he had made it a short and sweet mission, we would've missed out on the whole creepy carnival setting at Earthworld. And that would've been a shame.

There were a lot of moving parts to Jet's plan for Earthworld. And rhymes. But Spike's mic drop on that was utterly on-brand for both Spike and the team.

Fighting a killer clown has to be on the top ten of every hero's bucket list.

Using their own technology against them is probably in the handbook.

I haven't gotten into the fight scenes in this series because there's only so many time you can use the phrase "mind-blowing." Spike's throwdown with LeFou continues that tradition.

Although LeFou is out of the picture, what are the chances there are other super-soldiers out there capable of setting up a neural uplink with Ein?

It's a troubling thought, especially since LeFou was able to give Ein commands.

Over at The Syndicate, things aren't going too well for anyone who isn't Vicious.

Once again, living up to his name (and, once again, seriously, who names a kid "Vicious"?), he single-handedly massacred them ALL.

Caliban: You are nothing but a scared little boy. You will never be anything else.

_{🔗 permalink: You are nothing but a scared little boy. You will never be anything else.}

Including his father, the Elder, Caliban, who still didn't have a nice thing to say to him. The nerve.

The use of dual face-changers to trick Mao into executing Santiago was pretty brilliant and an elegant throwback to Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 3, which was also when Ein joined the team.

I always appreciate it when an anthology-like series unifies the season through intelligent writing.

Faye: You know what I’ve come to realize flipping through all of the fine literature?

Spike: Don’t care.

Faye: I’ve been spending way too much time limiting myself. Life’s a buffet.

Spike: I thought it was a dinner party.

Faye: Yeah, whatever it is, I’m ready to eat.

_{🔗 permalink: Yeah, whatever it is, I’m ready to eat.}

If might means right, Vicious is entitled to rule the Syndicate for as long as he's able.

He showed them all, after all. Mao didn't believe he could defeat the swords guarding the Elders. Julia didn't think he'd see through the plan. His father didn't believe in him, full stop.

And Julia's all who remains now.

Well, and Spike.

How will the final fight between Spike and Vicious go down? We've seen that Spike is very good at staying alive, and Vicious is very good at killing people. Is this one of those immovable object versus irresistible force situations?

What is the tie-breaking factor?

I'd like to think it's Ein, but they left him behind, and I'm not sure he'd be helpful against Vicious.

The optimistic prediction is that Spike will get by with a little help from his friends. However, that'll involve revealing his entire history with The Syndicate and how he's endangered their lives.

So, if the team hangs together, weathering that storm, they have a good chance of success.

They've defeated killer clowns, brain-melting AIs, eco-terrorists, and teddy bear bombers. What's a run-of-the-mill madman with a sword compared to all that?

Where do they go from here? Do you fear for Julia's life? Will Ana be able to save her?

How will the Syndicate operate with only one Elder?

Which reminds me: Where is Vicious's mother? I assume he's Caliban's biological son, which means there would've been a mother in the picture at some point.

And while we're considering families, is everyone else alone in the world? Jet has his daughter but, without custody, that is a technicality. Spike and Julia are orphans. Faye's life was on ice for how many decades? Could she still have family living?

Do cowboys get to have families? Or do they stick with the "found family" format? Who among the core cast is good parenting material? Who would you be willing to leave your children with? Throw your answers in the comments!

The post Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Sad Clown A-Go-Go appeared first on TV Fanatic.

After Faye tried to track her down on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 4, it was only a matter of time before Whitney showed up in the flesh.

Like Spike, I have to admire a character with such panache and complete disregard to societal norms that she'll con a valet as quickly as she'd whip up a batch of dumplings.

She's got a lot of nerve, too, as Faye points out. Coming to the woman you conned and bilked to ask for a ride is a lot to swallow.

Trusting that said woman, a bounty hunter of reasonable renown, won't turn you in for the bounty on your head is borderline foolhardy.

It occurs to me that if Whitney were the only role model Faye had since she awoke from cryo-sleep, it would explain where she learned to value her own abilities.

Still not sure where Faye picked up the bounty hunting skills, mind you.

I appreciate that Jet picks up the vibe that all is not as it seems with Whitney and Faye. Once a cop, always a cop. His instincts are on alert.

His reaction is also precisely what Spike had been predicting. At his core, Jet believes in honesty. After the truth of his partner's betrayal came out on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 5, he's probably more sensitive about it too.

In any case, his reaction to Faye's subterfuge will definitely discourage Spike from coming clean.

With Faye's memory only reaching back a couple of years, I wonder how many times she's had to apologize. Daniella Pineda embued her remorse with such genuine repentance that it felt like something a young child would convey.

It's a sad truth that we do lose potency when our words become scripts. When adults apologize without acknowledging their wrongdoing, it's a perfunctory routine. Faye's apology owned her mistake.

Jumping to the end, insert eye roll and shudder upon the discovery that Whitney and the Iron Mink were role-playing some sort of couples' exercise.

Considering the goons Spike had to fight off while Jet enjoyed his daughter's recital, the Iron Mink sank a lot of resources into this immersive kink.

The Mink: You are disgusting. Shameless. Ravishing. Miserable. Husk. Blyat. I loved you so much. It makes me sad to kill you.

_{🔗 permalink: You are disgusting. Shameless. Ravishing. Miserable. Husk. Blyat. I loved you so much. It…}

It's especially excessive when you consider that Whitney never saw that fight, hence making any titillation from witnessing her husband's army go to war for her moot.

That the Iron Mink felt it necessary to kill his henchman for hearing the boss's safe words was a bit of macabre levity. Noted and applauded (although I am curious who will be cleaning up Dimitri's body.)

Once again, there is an elegant juxtaposition of themes on the two plot threads.

While Whitney and her husband engage in consensual and non-traditional strategies to keep their attraction fresh, Julia is D-O-N-E.

Knowing Vicious isn't the type to plan ahead, Julia's proposed coup hinges on him controlling himself long enough to make nice with the other capos in The Syndicate. Having him at the table starkly contrasted with Mao's stern but diplomatic business demeanor and Santiago's gentility.

Does it seem strange that with three Elders ruling, there are only three capos? Or are these just the local capos?

Mao: You know, marital strife rarely inspires good decisions.

_{🔗 permalink: You know, marital strife rarely inspires good decisions.}

Julia's private proposal to Mao comes with less subtlety. Although it's such a simple request, it would be unseemly to dance around it, I guess.

Having arranged to have Mao positioned with a weapon over her husband as part of the plan to overthrow the Elders, her true intentions now coalesce as she requests that Mao strike a killing blow.

There's a moment of hesitation in Mao when Julia makes her request. Did she recognize that Vicious's madness may have infected Julia? Did she think Vicious had sent Julia to test her loyalty?

I'm not sure how anyone in The Syndicate can ever relax. Maybe it's just having Vicious all wound up and looking to hurt someone that makes it seem incredibly chaotic and violent.

Santiago certainly lives a life out in the open. Mao appears calm and assured of her minions' loyalty.

It's only those swimming in Vicious's pool who appear jumpy and unsure. And do you blame them?

I'd like to see what the Elders do when they are all masked up and on the thrones. It's a very ritualistic way of ruling and feeds right into Vicious's description of them being "fossils."

So while Whitney and the Iron Mink have an unusual arrangement, the lesson here is that a unique marriage will always be preferable to one of terror and deception.

Both relationships involve danger and pursuit, but Whitney has understanding and a true partnership, something Julia may never know.

Are you anticipating a Vicious victory over the Elders, or are you hoping that Julia's efforts to control her destiny bear fruit?

Go ahead and post your predictions in the comments!

Heels Character Posters

Open List

The post Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Galileo Hustle appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The production team had a helluva time with this Matrix-like adventure, I can tell. The visual effects as the AI simulation began to degrade were highly effective.

With the multiple iterations of Julia and Vicious popping up in the simulation, it's probably for the best that the real ones never make an appearance. It could be confusing.

While the deep dives into Faye and Jet's stories have played with context and time, respectively, it's appropriate that Spike's backstory emerges through his subconscious.

Although, before he ever goes under, it speaks to his esteem for their partnership that he was willing to check out a lead he thought was total bunk just because Jet said he should.

Jet: Since we’re going to be grounded for a few more hours, maybe you can make yourself useful.

Spike: More useful than normal?

Jet: That’d be a win.

_{🔗 permalink: That’d be a win.}

Of course, with what happened, he may be more cautious the next time.

It's also a little disconcerting that psychotic AIs are able to switch themselves back on, create fake personas, and lure victims in so they can feed on their consciousnesses.

It's fascinating to consider that every scenario Spike experiences in the simulation is spawned from his own consciousness.

One can extrapolate that he's dreamed extensively about seeing Julia again for the past three years, as well as all the ways she could be taken away from him again.

When she begins to push him away, those words are the ones he fears he'll hear from the real Julia. Having him throw his worst insecurities in his face would only heighten his sense of worthiness and worth.

Julia: Who are you kidding? Everything you touch dies.

_{🔗 permalink: Who are you kidding? Everything you touch dies.}

Although he was known as Fearless, there are some fears one can never shake.

I liked that each time the simulation restarted, Spike chose a different route., demonstrating how his brain kept trying to solve the situation, motivated to save Julia.

That one of the last ideas he has is to take Julia with him to the Bebop speaks to his desperation level as he is willing to bring her to Jet's ship where he'd be forced to come clean about his past.

And as the AI closes in on absorbing his consciousness, Spike is still unwilling to let go of Julia. Is that why the simulation Vicious shot him instead of Julia? Or was that the AI's last-ditch revenge for having the power cut off to its mainframe?

They say if you die in your sleep, you'll die in real life. Or was it Spike's subconscious actualizing his fear that Vicious would kill him once again?

I'm surprised there wasn't a scenario that involved taking Julia to Ana's club. I would expect since she was an ally in that life, she'd still be a haven.

The ship repair part of the storyline was a bit of a mess, even if it was super cute.

Mel and Faye are obviously the super cute part of it. Faye figuring out she's gay after two years of bounty hunting seems a little far-fetched, but okay.

Faye: You don’t know where to turn. Who to trust. You have no frame of reference. The first time you touched a hot kettle, or skinned your knee. Because you’re already a grown up. No one to lean on. No one to be loved by.

Mechanic: I don’t know who you were, or what you forgot, but I don’t think that changes the soul. And I can see you got a really, really good soul.

_{🔗 permalink: I don’t know who you were, or what you forgot, but I don’t think that changes the soul. And I…}

Their pillow talk worked well as a way for Faye to be painfully vulnerable with someone. It's not a side to her I can see coming out around Jet or Spike.

Maybe Ein.

Whether Mel signed up for keeping an engine room from blowing up while the ship's flying, or if she considers a nooner appropriate barter for being effectively kidnapped, we'll probably never know.

I'll admit the railgun plot point made for a solid deus ex machina moment. Especially since I find it highly unlikely Mel's a bobby pin sort of lady. And more to the point, would she really still have one in her hair after EVERYTHING she'd been up to that day?

I have so many issues with the Londes AI and Dr. Kaypack. Like, seriously, what the actual heck?

From Kaypack's account, he created the AI; it became psychotic and killed THOUSANDS of test subjects. Did they have THOUSANDS of simultaneous hookups for consciousness rendering? Because one would think the program would have been shut down after ONE death.

And how is the power source on another planet? Wouldn't the draw on the power source be noticed? And why is the mainframe so completely encased?

If there's a huge bounty on Cy-Baba and Kaypack admitted they made up Cy-Baba to cover up the Londes AI massacre, should Kaypack be liable somehow? Who exactly does he work for anyway?

Will Mel be back to repair the Bebop? It's significantly worse for wear now. Was Jet's daredevil run to Earth a subtle way to ensure that Mel and Faye get together again?

For a one-off episode involving a crazy subconsciousness AI program and a sexy mechanic, it's spawned far more questions than answers.

What questions are burning your brain? Do you think there will be fall-out for either or both of Spike and Faye's adventures?

Did the Londes back itself up somewhere? Will it resurface again? And if shutting down the mainframe of Earth ended it, why in the world wasn't it done the first time?

The post Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Binary Two-Step appeared first on TV Fanatic.

As a character study, it's a tragic tale from the get-go. Cut down and framed just as he and his wife picked a name for the child they're expecting. Locked away for five years where I'll assume ex-cops are not made to feel welcome by inmates and wardens alike.

Jet may not be Spike-cool or Faye-frenetic, but he's the rock that captains the Bebop. A lesser man would've given up trying a long time ago. Jet persists. I don't think he knows how to stop.

There's excellent continuity built into his evolution in his consistent dislike of Chalmers.

Before Chalmers replaced him in his wife's affections and daughter's life, he thought Chalmers was too perfect not to be dirty.

To psychoanalyze that a bit, his irritation with Chalmers probably reflects some personal insecurities.

And to pour gasoline on that fire, Chalmers ended up with everything Jet valued most — family and career.

If we look at the timestamps: Spike and Jet have been hunting together for three years; Jet was incarcerated for five; and, for mathematical duplicity, Kimmie just celebrated her eighth birthday, confirming that the events of the flashbacks took place approximate nine or ten years before our present day.

In those flashbacks, Jet and Fad had a pretty comfortable partnership. They'd been working together long enough that Jet felt Fad should have been able to come to him with financial issues.

They were in sync, in rhythm, knew how to question a perp together or corner a person of interest in the most effective and efficient way.

And, knowing Jet's analytical mind, they probably closed many cases in their time together.

So it's beyond heartbreaking for Jet to find out that the last person he cared about from that old life was the person who took that life away from him.

The scripting is such that there's an inkling of suspicion seeded early on. I started to feel some unease when Fad took that call after the visit to the papers guy with the teeth.

And knowing that he was widowing Fad's wife and that she'd never get any real answers either, can't sit well with someone as lawful-good as Jet.

Chalmers: You just killed the only man in creation that can clear your name. Shit, Jet. You’ve got the worst luck I’ve ever seen.

Jet: Yeah, I’m aware of that.

_{🔗 permalink: Yeah, I’m aware of that.}

A different show would have Jet under some evil curse or born under an inauspicious star.

If Spike visits death on all around him, Jet is a walking bad luck charm.

Spike: They can grow you a new arm, you know.

Jet: You know, sometimes when you lose something, there’s just no getting it back.

Spike: Any more fortune cookies you want to crack open, or can we eat now?

Jet: You work at being an asshole?

Spike: No, actually, it comes naturally. Unlike your arm.

_{🔗 permalink: Any more fortune cookies you want to crack open, or can we eat now?}

And it's not that he doesn't try to do the right thing and be a positive role model. The world is stacked against him.

Case in point, the Walking Sally Doll mission on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 3. After dropping thousands of woo on a black market deal for that doll, how long is it before it gets run over in the street?

Meanwhile, he gives his teammates a simple task. Pick a bounty from the dozens of prisoners who escaped a crash prison transport and bag a few for the woo.

If I am correct in my observations, Spike and Faye spent the time they had arguing, bragging, and bathing.

Spike: T-Bone eats people.

Faye: So?

Spike: So it took seven guys to take him down last time, and he ate the faces off two of them.

Faye: Yeah, but he’s worth the most money.

Spike: I like my face.

_{🔗 permalink: I like my face.}

Others might term it "bonding," but that doesn't negate the fact they didn't do anything like catch a fugitive.

Spike talks a big game about not trusting and disliking Faye, but he was the one who brought her onboard the Bebop the first time on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 1.

The most attractive thing about Faye is how, despite her amnesia and obvious trust issues, she recognizes her own worth and isn't shy about lauding her successes.

The look of this offering is markedly different from the preceding lot in the very film noir lighting and the trenches that detectives apparently wear in 2071.

Much like how a graphic novel or manga may change inkers or artists for a specific chapter or segment to convey a shift in narrative style, utilizing wholly different shooting techniques and speeds in the flashbacks created a real contrast to the present-day scenes.

What's even more clever is that the longer Jet hangs with Fad on the trail of the escaped Taxim, the more enmired in that nostalgic vibe he becomes until the truth is revealed and the images are suddenly sharp and stark again.

While Spike's backstory is unfolding slowly through the season, having Jet's laid out so elegantly in a single outing really highlights how straightforward his life is when compared to the others.

So even though he's not as flashy as his teammates, it behooves us to remember that without Jet, they'd just be cowboys with no Bebop.

Jet is the family man of the series. He's been married, has a child, owns a ship, and invited both Spike and Faye into his life. He's not a creature who operates well in isolation.

Santiago: You’ll never know true power until you’ve tasted the testicles of a man who has wronged you.

_{🔗 permalink: You’ll never know true power until you’ve tasted the testicles of a man who has wronged you.}

Meanwhile, on the truly dysfunctional side of the narrative tapestry, we meet and learn about the capos Vicious will need to court in order to overthrow the Elders.

I guess capos need to be intimidating, but Mao is something else altogether. And her description of Santiago's modus operandi is incredibly enlightening.

Do you expect Vicious's plot to succeed? Or do you suspect, as I do, that his proposal being made parallel to the revelation of Fad's betrayal is foreshadowing with a paint roller?

Hit our comments with the scene that impressed you the most!

The post Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 5 Review: Darkside Tango appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Not as transcendental an experience as you'd imagine. There was a lot more blood and screaming than I would've predicted, personally.

But, yay! Faye is back and, this time, to stay for the duration.

When Faye first appeared on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 1, I predicted the show would need her energy to keep things light and fun.

While she's been absent, we've had to rely on teddy bear-headed bombers and badly abused children's toys to lend an air of absurdity to an otherwise dark and foreboding season arc.

So, needless to say, I'm glad to have her back, if only for the look on Spike's face when she steals his ship and the dog.

She's a wild card. She's got no history to haunt her because she has no memory of who she is.

And while that's a tragic situation to be in, having no baggage except the rage against the people who did this to her, the sky's really the limit with Faye.

Despite everything she's seen and done as a cowboy, having no memory means experiencing a lot of things for the first time.

Also, figuring out things like dogs are not for eating.

Spike: That’s a dog. You never seen one?

Faye: Sure, in zoos. Next to the dragon sanctuary and unicorn exhibit. I hear these things are, like, twenty to thirty million a pop.

Jet: He’s not for sale.

Faye: I hear they’re pretty tasty too.

_{🔗 permalink: I hear they’re pretty tasty too.}

I have a lot of questions about the time she spent with the con artist who stole her settlement money and identity.

How long did this Whitney Haggis Matsumoto play the mother role? How did Faye figure it out? Who taught Faye how to bounty hunt? Doesn't seem like a typical mother-daughter thing to do. Not that I'm judging. It's a helluva skill set.

It's a clever use of juxtaposition to have Faye hunting for her fake mom at the same time as Maria Murdock demonstrates over and over how to be a terrible mother to her real children.

To take it even further, the contrast is stark between either of those families and the Bebop family Faye ends up with here.

Jet: Why would I fix your shoulder just to throw you out the airlock, huh?

Faye: I don’t know. Because maybe you two are a bunch of bored, sadistic sons of bitches.

Jet: Wow.

Spike: She’s not wrong. I’ve been pretty bored lately.

_{🔗 permalink: She’s not wrong. I’ve been pretty bored lately.}

Granted, it's a non-traditional family. Jet's the only one with parental instincts. Spike's all secrets and food cravings. Faye's got some impulse control issues. And Ein is a super-intelligent hacker dog, but no one actually knows that.

Still, gathered around a table with food and all the weapons locked away, they could make some nice memories together.

Over on Mars, Julia's starting to show some life.

One strategy that abused partners employ to get into the good graces of abusers is to make themselves as useful as possible.

By helping Vicious strategize a way to overthrow The Elders, she's showing she can support his ambitions.

By going to Ana for help, she's demonstrating that she is resourceful and can leverage relationships.

By outlining the players they need to form alliances with, they provide us with the names of the other capos in play — Mao and The Eunuch. Hats off to elegant exposition.

Vicious hasn't shown any real skill with long-term planning. He tends to execute (quite literally) first and then realize the consequences later.

Chillingly, the only incident of him thinking ahead was him directing his guards to remember to pick up the gold-dusted chocolates Julia loves on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 3.

He manages to stay focused on that objective even after massacring his entire Red Eye production staff. His priorities are clear.

Julia's sudden interest in kingmaking feels like an abrupt gear shift. Furthermore, the fact she won't share all her plans with Ana seems to indicate layers to her thinking. It's always possible it's to protect her old boss, but that's a guess at best.

Our heroes are the heroes because they have good hearts.

That's not always the case, but, here, where they are three people with lethal skills but choose to save people instead, it holds true.

It has been demonstrated repeatedly that their instincts are those of good people, even when their choices aren't the smartest or most profitable ones.

When Faye first detours away from Maria Murdock's ship to run down Fake Mom Whitney, it's completely understandable and in keeping with what we know about her.

And she could have kept going, even when she saw the missile. The struggle was plainly on her face. The chance to nail the woman who had stolen her past was so close. The price to be paid: the deaths of millions haunting her future.

Knowing that the price was too high is what puts Faye in our hero column. And onboard the Bebop.

Full disclosure: the guys' running cosmonaut joke went over my head.

If it's an obscure source series reference, please fill me in. The only guess I have is that it might be an homage to Valentina Tereshkova — the first and youngest woman to fly solo in space — since Faye's last name is Valentine.

Of course, it could just be them messing with her.

Looking ahead, I expect to see a lot more Syndicate maneuvering as Vicious attempts to make nice with the other capos. This will also give Julia more screen time to show her true colors.

How Faye and Jet will be drawn into Spike's struggles with his past will probably determine whether the trio survive the conflict.

How do you see the conflicts playing out? Will Vicious, with Julia's support, manage his coup? Will Spike regret not finishing him off when he had the chance?

Hit our comments with your thoughts!

The post Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Callisto Soul appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Those unfamiliar with the Pembroke Welsh Corgi datadog are probably still bewildered by the online outpouring of love for what appears to be an incidental character. And a dog at that.

For me, I am fascinated by the idea that, in the future, owning a dog denotes extreme wealth.

There are two primary mission objectives to this narrative, and neither is achieved, which is starting to become par for the course with this team of bounty hunters.

Again, no Faye in the mix, so Jet doesn't have anyone to give him an alternative option to his headlong, no price too steep, quest to acquire a Walking Sally Doll for his daughter, Kimmie.

The other objective, to catch the dognapper for the massive bounty, is sabotaged by the cops when they put a bullet in Hakim's head just as he's admitted he should probably get some help.

Hakim: That’s a good deal. You guys get some kale and I go away for the piece of shit that I am.

Spike: We gotta do something about your self-esteem, Hakim.

Hakim: Yeah, I know.

_{🔗 permalink: self-esteem Hakim}

Jet's series of mishaps with the Walking Sally Doll, once he gets one from the impressively tattooed and pierced Maori toy dealer, would be devastating if it wasn't so hilarious.

And, seriously, who makes a black market doll deal outside the two seediest brothels on Mars?

Woven in subtly to the cowboy banter is the discussion on how one deals with a brother who betrays you.

Spike poses it as a non-hypothetical to Jet in the context of Chalmers, who was once a fellow officer but is now seeing Jet's ex-wife and raising his daughter.

Jet: Chalmers will be there. With his smiley fucking face. Did I ever tell you that about him? He’s always smiling. You first meet the guy and think he’s had a stroke or something. Then you realize he’s just one happy asshole.

_{🔗 permalink: Chalmers will be there. With his smiley fucking face. Did I ever tell you that about him?…}

Chalmers doesn't recommend himself after his run-in with Jet on Cowboy Bebop Season 1 Episode 1 at the Europa police station. He doesn't improve that impression when he leads the cops in to kill Hakim and collect the stolen dogs.

Spike: You never answered my question.

Jet: Whether I’d put a bullet in him? No. That’d be too quick and painless for that asshole. If I could get away with it, I’d pull Chalmers into a dark alley and put my metal fist right through his smiley fucking face. Make him go through the rest of his miserable life with a face that matches his miserable sense of brotherhood. But I’m not bitter.

_{🔗 permalink: Whether I’d put a bullet in him? No. That’d be too quick and painless for that asshole. If I…}

But Spike's thinking about Vicious while talking it out about Chalmers.

So when he has Vicious pinned down, and in his sniper sights, one has to wonder if he stays the killing shot out of the remnants of brotherly affection or if he plans to even the score with Vicious in the future in some other way.

Spike's logic contortions to keep Jet in the dark about his past with The Syndicate get pretty outlandish while he's trying to stay on-planet so Sushi Food Truck Guy can get back to him.

Spike's prediction that Jet will have an insurmountable issue with him once being a Syndicate hitman may be accurate. Jet has some pretty strong feelings about things. 

However, they've also been partners for three years. Spike's Hamlet-like procrastination is likely to make things worse when the truth comes out. And all indications are that the truth will out in a loud and proud way.

While the series is living up to its "action-packed" advertising, and the fight scenes have been quite exceptional, I've been more entertained with the side characters introduced.

Case in point: Woodcock! (And, again, I want to point out I think names do matter.)

Seriously, how much fun was Carmel McGlone having making her lascivious offers and innuendos?

It's the colorful and dynamic additions like Woodcock that anchor Cowboy Bebop firmly in the realm of the fantastic. Everything about this anime adaptation fights the inclination to recreate our world in the future. Instead, it makes it MORE.

More crazy. More intense. More brutal. More passionate.

Cowboy Bebop is not only a space Western, it's a space Western MELODRAMA, and it revels in that identity.

This is even more apparent with Julia's visit to Ana's club.

Ana: There’s always a choice. That’s why you came. I haven’t survived on this sweet, spinning sphere by chance. I did it by taking power. You have the power. You control your destiny.

_{🔗 permalink: There’s always a choice. That’s why you came. I haven’t survived on this sweet, spinning…}

A scene between a battered wife and a woman of means would IRL involve a reasonable plan of action, counseling, a safe house, maybe even the calling in of some favor to remove Vicious.

But The Syndicate is such a cartoonishly impossible opposing force in this world, neither of them even considers escape. At least, not yet.

I predict that whatever Julia's brewing up in her head is guaranteed to be anything but reasonable.

Jet and Spike might be the main characters here, but as each episode rolls out, we discover that remarkably unique and powerful female characters surround them.

Greta the Dominatrix is perhaps the most amusing one turned out here. Her wholehearted devotion to her calling is quite admirable, and she turns out to be an excellent source of information.

Greta: Are you a cheap bastard?

Spike: Not by choice, mistress.

_{🔗 permalink: Not by choice, mistress.}

(By the way, I kind of get the reference to "Betty's Bottom," but what exactly do they mean by "Betty's Boop"? Hm, maybe I don't want to know.)

Returning to Jet's mission goal, when he fails monumentally in securing a giftable Walking Sally Doll, he pivots and thinks he'll give Kimmie a dog instead. And while that didn't work out either, her love for Ein is so touching, he's willing to keep an illegal pet with him on The Bebop just so Kimmie can visit with it.

There's a charm in Jet's preoccupation with being a good dad from a distance. It's nice to know, in a world dominated by killers, crime, and corruption, there is at least one dad out there who simply wants to make his little girl smile.

Were you surprised by Vicious's way of shutting down his Red Eye operations… temporarily?

Are you missing Faye as much as I am? Hit our comments with how you think she'll return!

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