Supergirl's Lena Luthor -- played by Katie McGrath -- hasn't exactly in the best following the demise of her half-brother, classic Superman villain Lex Luthor. But with Jon Cryer's Lex set to return in the Arrowverse's highly-anticipated "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover event, it begs the question of whether or not Lena seeing her brother again could help soothe her anger. According to McGath herself, however, it may not be that simple.
While sitting down with TVLine, McGrath was asked if the revelation that Lex is alive in Crisis could change Lena's perspective on things. "Well, you're supposing that he's going to be fine," she answered.
"It's the crossover, so anything can happen," McGrath continued. "There are five episodes to tell that story, so we don't know what's going to happen. It's a whole new idea, a whole new world, so any presumptions are maybe misplaced."
In Supergirl, McGrath's Lena assumes control of Lex's company and attempts to atone for her half-brothers misdeeds. Meanwhile, she develops a bond with both Melissa Benoist's Kara Danvers and Supergirl herself (unaware they are the same person).
The relationship between Lena and Supergirl soon became rocky, with the younger Luthor sibling beginning to distrust the Girl of Steel. Lena ultimately killed Lex following his escape from prison, but not before he revealed to her that Kara -- one of her closest confidants -- is, in fact, Supergirl.
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.
"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.
Lately there has been a lot of negativity about American animation aimed at an adult audience. People have dismissed it as being ugly, immature and generally inferior to cartoons aimed at children. These generalizations make some sense as criticisms of South Park, Family Guy, Sausage Party and a lot of the cheaper Adult Swim series. A few years ago they might have seemed fair, with acknowledgement of noteworthy exceptions to the rule. However, it's strange that critics are being so vocal in 2019 when there's a greater variety of high-quality adult animation options than ever before.
Let's start by looking at a common criticism of American adult animation that could have been taken as a statement of fact a few years ago: adult cartoons, regardless of quality, lean towards comedy, whereas action or drama storylines are reserved for children's animation. For the longest time, adult action/drama cartoons were scarce on American TV. There were a few cult hits and flops in the '90s, including Aeon Flux, The Maxx, Spawn, Invasion America, and then pretty much nothing during the '00s and most of the '10s.
However, the dual successes of Netflix's Castlevania and Adult Swim's revival of Samurai Jack in 2017 sparked something, because this year we actually have more adult action/drama cartoons than you can count on one hand. Netflix premiered Seis Manos, from the team behind Castlevania, and the sci-fi anthology series Love, Death and Robots. Adult Swim reteamed with Genndy Tartakovsky on Primal and aired Rooster Teeth's gen:LOCK on Toonami. Amazon Prime released Undone, the rare non-action drama cartoon. DC Universe brought back Young Justice and skewed more adult in Outsiders. And while its Harley Quinn series is more of a comedy, it's still worth noting among adult-oriented action cartoons.
Aside from the rough CG character animation in gen:LOCK, all of these shows are well-animated, some exceptionally so. The different episodes of Love, Death and Robots vary in maturity (some are truly thoughtful, others fall victim to the stereotype of forced edginess), but every episode is gorgeously animated. Undone's rotoscoping creates a dreamscape that might be the closest American animation has come to the works of Satoshi Kon. Primal tells its story in visuals so well it doesn't require a single line of dialogue. The stereotype of adult cartoons as ugly is being heavily challenged by these series.
One area where adult animation does still seriously need to catch up to children's programming is in its representation of women's perspectives. There has been progress on that front recently, but there are still obstacles. Lisa Hanawalt made headlines this year as the creator of Tuca and Bertie, only for the visually inventive, critically acclaimed show to be canceled by Netflix after just one season.
No one explained the reasons for the cancellation and theories abound (Low viewership? Sexism? Getting back at the animators for unionizing?). One response that seems a bit unfair, however, is fans' claims that Big Mouth, which Netflix renewed for three seasons a few days after Tuca's cancellation, was somehow to blame.
Big Mouth has become the de facto punching bag for complaints about adult animation: it is incredibly crude, and it is extremely ugly (arguably it has to be in order to get away with its subject matter). However, it's also one of the rare adult cartoons with a female co-creator, Jennifer Flackett, and unlike South Park or Family Guy, it's a show that tries hard to be socially conscious (and one where the writers apologize when they fall short).
There has been some positive news for women in adult animation. Undone, co-created by Katy Purdy, received a second season renewal from Amazon. A new season of Natasha Allegri's Bee and Puppycat, often cited as an exception by adult animation haters due to its relative cleanness and stylistic commonalities with kids' shows like Adventure Time, is wrapping production and should be ready any day now. Shion Takeuchi's Inside Job received a greenlight from Netflix. Independent animator Vivziepop has lit up YouTube with her pilots Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, which have earned some warranted criticism for their immature, edgy humor but are at least clear labors of love from an animation standpoint.
On top of all this new programming, old standbys are as reliable as ever. While The Simpsons has been a shadow of its former self for two decades now, Bob's Burgers has thankfully filled its niche for irreverent yet good-natured family humor, and is still as lovable as ever 10 seasons in. Rick and Morty is often unfairly dismissed by adult animation haters, but in truth it's a thoughtful, creative, well-animated, and at times even emotionally affecting series; even if Season 4 thus far hasn't had any true stand-out episodes yet, it's still a good time.
Also, the final season of Bojack Horseman has been better than ever. Bojack's one of the most genuinely mature yet hilarious shows of any kind today, and might have paved the way more than anything else for the popularization of serious themes in adult animation.
Yes, Family Guy still goes for immature and lazy jokes too often, South Park's attempts at social commentary fail at least as often as they succeed and it's always a toss-up whether a new Adult Swim show will be ridiculously hilarious or just plain ridiculous. With more good adult animation than ever before, however, shouldn't people be celebrating the positive trend rather than wallowing in the negative?
To some degree, it seems like the continued dismissal of adult cartoons is the result of a defensiveness from fans of kids' cartoons. In previous generations, fans of animation in general might have shared this defensiveness, but in 2019 it's almost universally accepted among everyone under the age of 60 that cartoons aren't just for kids. What isn't quite as universally accepted is adults who watch kids' cartoons. When fans lash out at cartoons that are socially accepted as "for adults," it might be a reaction to this social stigma.
Many kids' cartoons are genuinely great and worth watching as an adult, from SpongeBob SquarePants to Steven Universe. What is a bit worrying, however, is when adult fans of media aimed at children become dismissive of adult-oriented works because they're feeling defensive. It's the same problem we saw in some of the dismissals of Martin Scorsese's work following Scorsese's own dismissal of the MCU. And an even uglier instance of this happened when a bunch of Young Adult authors piled on a college student for suggesting an adult book replace a YA book on her school's curriculum.
There's even more exciting adult animation set to premiere in the coming years. In 2020, you can expect to see J.G. Quintel's Close Enough, Justin Roiland's Solar Opposites, Star Trek: Lower Decks, an animated adaptation of Invincible, and the long-anticipated return of The Boondocks. Netflix is going all-in on anime-inspired programming from the likes of Kevin Smith and Zack Snyder while also signing deals with Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch and Bob's Burgers Loren Bouchard for new adult animated comedies. Hulu has four adult-oriented Marvel series with plans for an eventual crossover as The Offenders in the works.
Hopefully future Adult Swim shows can reach the heights of Rick and Morty and Crunchyroll will eventually begin to roll out its original programming for a variety of audiences, perhaps alongside the launch of HBOMax. We may very well be in an adult animation Renaissance, despite all the dismissive hot takes claiming otherwise.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Rick and Morty's Season 4 episode, "One Crew Over the Crewcoo's Morty."
Rick and Morty has often taken shots at world politics, especially on issues such as climate change, espionage and experimentation. They haven't shied away from the entertainment industry either, and Season 4 finds the duo -- or Rick, a least -- turning their attention to a major problem in pop culture these days: toxic masculinity and caustic fandom in general.
However, rather than addressing keyboard warriors alone, the series tackles the debacles that have started happening at comic conventions -- by using the only slightly veiled metaphor of Heist Conventions.
The episode, "One Crew Over the Crewcoo's Morty," starts by focusing on a convention called HeistCon, which Rick absolutely abhors. After one of his treasures is stolen by Miles Knightly in a parody of Ocean's Eleven, Rick furiously deems him a scam artist who has only built credibility as a thief because of toxic fans at cons that feed his ego.
Throughout the episode, heists stand in for anything, whether it's comics, video games or movies, that elicit such abusive behavior from franchise lovers. And it's no surprise that we see the majority of attendees at this convention are male.
Rick and Morty don't want to pay to go in because they don't like the air of entitlement at Cons, so they fake being professionals and sneak in. Rick's goal is to wage war on heist fan culture and offer payback for their vitriol. He thinks toxic fans are obnoxious and hurt the heist industry, especially for genuine fans and creatives trying to make money. We've seen numerous cases of this in real-world pop culture, and Rick harbors deep hatred for how the animosity at past heist conventions has led to bullying both online and off -- clearly a dig at incidents such as Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran being attacked and forced to leave social media.
The mad genius schools Morty on why he's pissed off and Rick eventually encounters Miles in Hall G (a clear shot at the famous Hall H panel) with his followers. Rick claims Miles stole his prize because he just had to remind Rick he exists, and pokes fun at people like him who are constantly stirring up trouble and taking it overboard with fandom, some condescendingly and some angrily, just to assert their dominance.
This leads Miles to slander Rick as someone who hates the heisting arts because he's petty. Then, as the fans boo him, Rick takes a huge jab by telling them, "Your boos mean nothing. I've seen what makes you cheer!"
He and Morty don't care about the people who want security to stop them because they cut the question line, they're in pure anarchy mode. Rick makes a move he thinks is for the greater good, though, when he challenges Miles to a heist-off, which Rick wins after tricking Miles' crew.
Miles thought he had Rick double-crossed but it turns out this was all part of Rick's plan using Heist-O-Tron, a robot he created to come up with thefts. Earlier, the robot shot mind-control darts into Miles' crew so Rick could manipulate them, and in his moment of crowning glory, Rick has the 'bot shoot all the toxic males in the audience. However, when he tells them to complete the biggest heist ever and steal the convention, instead of taking the booths and such, they go after its heart and soul: themselves.
That's right, they tear each other apart, starting with Miles. Rick can't help but think this is poetic justice. While Morty might be a bit scarred from watching these men kill each other, Rick enjoys the moment, believing it's natural selection at work.
New episodes of Rick and Morty air Sundays at 11:30 p.m. on Adult Swim.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back features one of the most memorable twists in cinematic history, if not in all of fiction, with the revelation that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father. The iconic scene shocked fans, and changed the course of the franchise, as it transformed from a story of rebellion into generational saga about the battle between the light and dark sides of the Force, with the Skywalker family at its center.
Yet, as epic as that twist was, Star Wars has potentially introduced an even larger one with "Baby Yoda" on The Mandalorian.
That isn't to take anything away from that moment in The Empire Strikes Back, but over the decades, the impact of the revelation has, of course, lessened. The franchise is now is new positioning Rey as the new Chosen One, and toying with the notion that anyone can use the Force. In that light, the Skywalker line doesn't seem quite so important considering that, in theory, that virtually anyone could bring balance to the Force, and to the galaxy. In that sense, The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda twist matters more because it does what the Vader moment ultimately failed to do: blow the franchise wide open.
Even after Luke accepted Vader as his father, his mission remained the same: to destroy the Empire. That was never going to change; redeeming Anakin Skywalker was merely a bonus. So, as seismic as it was, ultimately, the revelation of Luke's parentage didn't change the course of the story. However, Baby Yoda's existence absolutely does.
The existence of another Force-manipulating member of Yoda and Yaddle's mysterious, unnamed species -- whether he's a clone or not -- shakes the modern canon established following Disney's 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm. Set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, The Mandalorian promised gun-slinging adventure in a dusty corner of the galaxy left lawless by the fall of the Empire and just out of the reach of the New Republic. However, the introduction of "the Kid," as the Mandalorian now calls the little scene-stealer, firmly establishes the Disney+ series is more than a fun Western in space, or s space-opera spin on Lone Wolf and Cub. It's firmly rooted in the original and prequel trilogies -- seriously, is Dr. Pershing involved with Kamino cloning? -- while also positioned to expand the mythology of the franchise.
We're left asking questions about the nature, and fate, of Yoda's species, and what the secret employer of Werner Herzog's Client wants with the infant. Beyond mere plot points in a single series (or even a single season of a series), the Kid creates potentially far-reaching ramifications, arriving as he does before the rise of the First Order and the founding of Luke Skywalker's doomed Jedi Academy. It opens the door for more stories, across television, film, comics and prose, permitting the Star Wars universe to paint a picture we didn't realize existed -- and, given the love for Baby Yoda, one we didn't even know we wanted.
As well-executed as it was, the Vader twist was self-contained and, in terms of scope, tunnel-visioned. On the other hand, the Kid breathes fresh life into the franchise the way directors like J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson promised. It's subjective as to whether these directors delivered on that promise, but Baby Yoda certainly has. That said, as much as the character expands the Star Wars mythos, it also still stays true to the essence of George Lucas' vision.
In the process, The Mandalorian has changed our view of Mandalorians, transforming them as much into protectors as mercenaries. In the grand scheme, the Baby Yoda reveal illustrates exactly how Star Wars should evolve, while still remaining respectful of the franchise's foundations. This will keep purists and decades-long fans hooked, minimize alienation and reel in new audiences.
What's all the more impressive is the secret was kept so well. Baby Yoda was a pleasant surprise, leaving fans wanting more, and unlike the movies, it's uniting Star Wars lovers rather than dividing them.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Omid Abtahi, Werner Herzog and Nick Nolte. A new episode arrives each Friday on Disney+.
Grant Morrison and Xermanico's Green Lantern: Blackstars has seen Hal Jordan once again breaking bad and joining up with the titular authoritarian organization. DC has given CBR an exclusive preview of the second installment of the three-issue miniseries, which centers around a conversation between Superman and Jordan as the Blackstars prepare to subjugate Earth.
The preview, in Morrison's style, makes reference to a lot of different aspects of DC's continuity, including when Bruce Wayne's Aunt Harriet became Batman and more. The look also features Wonder Woman seemingly cutting off the nether regions of a character called Tyrant Bull. You can see CBR's exclusive preview of the issue below along with its solicitation information.
Target: Earth! Hal Jordan and the Blackstars will stop at nothing to bend the planet to its leader’s whims, and Earth’s greatest heroes pull out all the stops to fight these fascists. Betrayals of cosmic consequence abound! And why is Earth’s sun turning orange? We can only hope Superman figures that one out before it’s too late...
ON SALE 12.04.19
$3.99 US |2 OF 3|32 PAGES
FC|DC
This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
Green Lantern: Blackstars #2 goes on sale Dec. 4 from DC.
The concept of having another being inside of you is the kind of body horror that entertainment has been fascinated by for decades. In Scream: Curse of Carnage #1, the reader is shown the struggles faced by Andi Benton, who recently became the latest host for the symbiote Scream. There are also hints of a dark force seeking to become more powerful, which Andi and Scream will need to overcome as a team. With trials from without and within, it remains to be seen whether Andi can hold herself together for the series' four-issue run.
During the Absolute Carnage event, the symbiote Scream sacrificed its previous host, Patricia Robertson, to save the life of Andi Benton. Much of the first issue in the spinoff series Scream: Curse of Carnage #1 develops Andi as a character. The reader get insight into her troubled upbringing and her current struggles as someone who's homeless.
Yet, Andi's most pressing challenge is the invasion of her body by Scream. While it may have saved her life, Andi is grappling with what it means to have another presence inside of her body that is privy to her thoughts and able to control her actions.
At the beginning of the issue, Scream cannot communicate with Andi. Its attempts to do so are shown as a muffled, unintelligible scrawl. However, as the issue progresses, Scream gains its voice and becomes capable of actively engaging with Andi. This coming together of the two culminates in the latter pages of the issue when Andi and Scream encounter minions of a mysterious dark character, bent on feeding and growing stronger in order to unleash its true power on the city.
Chris Mooneyham's gritty, grotesque art is perfect for the atmosphere and images of Scream: Curse of Carnage #1. From the first pages, the art drags the reader into the book with its gripping depictions of the horrors that seem to inevitably happen in Marvel's New York.
The art complements Clay McLeod Chapman's simple, matter-of-fact writing neatly, working to present a powerful gut-punch of terror. The exploration of Andi's current everyday life, past and potential future with Scream inside of her is handled with care, showing the difficulties that she faces daily in a way that makes the reader feel for her. The interplay between Scream and Andi is tense and effectively sets up a unique hook at the end of the issue.
Scream: Curse of Carnage gives more latitude to Scream. It explores the impact of body invasion, introduces a menacing and interesting antagonist and demonstrates the potential to be a fascinating story in a city reeling from the impact of Absolute Carnage.
Fans have finally received an update on the upcoming New Gods film's script through a humorous response provided by the film's director/co-writer Ava DuVernay.
DuVernay was recently asked on Twitter if their were any updates regarding her DC film'sscript. "Writing with [Tom King]like Barda in a battle," she responded. "Strong and fearing no man."
In her Tweet, DuVernay is referring to the DC character of Big Barda. A member of the New Gods, Barda is a superheroine who boasts the powers of immortality and super strength. The character was created by the late, great Jack Kirby and first appeared in 1971's Mister Miracle #4.
The New Gods are a race of beings from the planets of New Genesis and Apokolips. Written and illustrated by Kirby, first issue of The New Gods was released in 1971. Famous New Gods in DC Comics include Mister Miracle and Darkseid, the latter begin already confirmed for the film.
DuVernay is writing the New Gods script along with famed comic book writer Tom King. The writer is well-known for his recent run on DC's mainline Batman series, but has also written Vision, Grayson and, of course Mister Miracle -- which prominently features the couple of Mister Miracle/Scott Free and Big Barda/Barda Free.
It's the end of an era has ended, as Toonami has revealed the death of TOM 5 through the latest episode of its original series The Forge.
In the event series' fourth episode, TOM 5 made the ultimate sacrifice to save the other TOM robots from being killed. TOM 5 is seen fighting off enemy alien force as he orders AI fairy Sara to prepare his ship for departure without him. He suffers a grief outcome as he professes his love for Sara.
It’s an all-out war on this episode of The Forge, but TOM’s ready to fight back. Check out episode four below and don’t miss the following episode, happening next Saturday night at 11p!
After the episode aired, Toonami co-creator Jason DeMarco penned a farewell tweet for the programming block's longtime host. "TOM 5 served for a long time," he wrote. "He took some hits along the way, too. I’ll miss 'battle damaged' TOM, he was a good’un." DeMarco followed his words with an image of a battle-weary TOM 5 and a salute for the robot's service.
As the host of Toonami , TOM 5 curated and introduced all the contented featured on Adult Swim's anime-themed Saturday night programming block. The latest in a line of various TOM models, TOM 5 made his debut as part of Toonami's latest revamp in 2013. Per ComicBook.com, Toonami confirms it will begin in 2020 with both a new look and a new host.
The 2020 revamp will only be the latest in Toonami's history. The programming block originally launched in 1997 and ran up until 2008. In 2012, Toonami was relaunched as part of Cartoon Network's nightly Adult Swim Block. Along the way, various different iterations of TOM have served as host -- and it looks like another is just around the corner.
Toonami airs Saturday nights on Cartoon Network/Adult Swim.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Venom #20 by Donny Cates, Iban Coello, Zé Carlos, Rain Beredo and VC's Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
For the past 18 months, Marvel has effectively changed everything we thought we knew about the Venom symbiote and the parasitic alien race known as the Klyntar. It all began with the revelation that the symbiotes’ history with planet Earth was deeper than initially believed; In fact, it stretched all the way back to the birth of the universe itself with the revelation that the aliens had their own god and creator, Knull.
Since then, more and more layers of the symbiotes’ mythology have been revealed, such as the codices they leave behind in their hosts and the real purpose of their home planet. But it hasn’t stopped there. In fact, Venom #20 keeps the surprises coming with the Maker's startling revelation that the symbiotes have a precognitive ability to sense oncoming danger, something that sparks their reproduction.
And that’s not all. Not only does the issue bring the Ultimate Universe version of Venom into the regular Marvel Universe, it also reveals one of its main purposes... something that could easily be used to bring the Venom symbiote into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In Venom #20, the Maker delivers a sort of status report to his benefactors, the Council of Reeds. As he explains to them, his experiments to open a dimensional rift to his original reality, the Ultimate Universe, yielded an unforeseen yet fortunate result. Through his work he learned that such attempts take a dangerous toll on the mind and body of a human traveler.
However, while he hasn’t been able to go back home yet, something actually came through: the unscathed synthetic version of the Venom symbiote, an artificial, symbiotic suit created by Peter Parker’s father, Richard, and Edward Brock Sr. Therefore, the Maker concludes that one of the symbiotes’ purposes, be they alien or synthetic, is to allow its wearer the ability to safely travel between universes.
And therein lies the perfect route to introduce Venom into the MCU.
As many fans know, the cinematic rights to Spider-Man and the characters associated with his corner of the Marvel Universe are currently divided between Disney and Sony. While Venom (starring Tom Hardy in the title role) was a huge box-office success, the film does not take place in the MCU, but rather Sony’s own shared Spider-Verse.
For that reason, the character was never expected to crossover with the likes of the Avengers. However, a new deal between both studios has extended their shared custody of Spider-Man, something that will allow Tom Holland to reprise his role as Peter Parker in the MCU and perhaps make more connections between the two universes. Therefore, the latest issue of Venom may have given us the perfect way to bring Sony’s Venom in the MCU. If the symbiotes allow their wearers the ability to safely travel from one universe to the next, then Hardy’s Eddie Brock could potentially travel from his own reality to that of the MCU.
Then, the character would be able to share the screen with Spider-Man, trade blows with the Avengers, and maybe even become a Guardian of the Galaxy. It’s a simple solution and it opens up a whole lot of possibilities.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for the seventh episode of Watchmen, "An Almost Religious Awe," which premiered Sunday on HBO.
The latest episode of HBO's Watchmen ended with a shocking revelation: Cal Abar, the caring husband of lead character Angela Abar, has actually been Doctor Manhattan all along -- he just didn't know about it. Somehow, Cal was his own person, complete with his own memories, but underneath the disguise lied the glowing blue Manhattan, who's just woken up.
Now, HBO has released a promo for Episode 8, which promises to deliver plenty of answers following that shocking cliffhanger.
The promo teases the first meeting between Angela and Doctor Manhattan, which takes place in Vietnam. While the character hides his face under a homemade mask of himself, his blue skin is a dead giveaway. There, he once again explains his own perception of time to the future Sister Night.
The promo doesn't stop there, however. As it warns that only two episodes remain, we see Angela go into a dangerous shootout with the Seventh Kavalry.
That said, if she has the all-powerful Doctor Manhattan on her side, then the battle may already be won.
Developed by Damon Lindelof, HBO's Watchmen stars Jeremy Irons, Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jean Smart, Louis Gossett Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison, James Wolk, Adelaide Clemens, Andrew Howard, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, Lily Rose Smith and Adelynn Spoon. The series airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for the South Park Season 23 episode, "Turd Burglar."
South Park's 23rd season has been particularly political, tackling such issues as immigration and China's censorship, but still taking the time to target pop-culture powerhouses like Disney. With the series returning to satirizing the entertainment industry in the wake of the closing of Tegridy Farms, it takes aim at the popular sci-fi property Dune.
However, as South Park riffs on the 1984 movie and its Spice Melange, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker churn out the crappiest parody ever -- quite literally.
South Park gets back to basics in "Turd Burglar," with poop jokes, surpassing the time Randy Marsh tried to break the world record for "the biggest dump ever." Here, Kyle's mom, Sheila, has a fecal transplant following a bacterial infection, and bounces back stronger than anticipated. She's healthy, glowing and apparently in her prime, which makes the other women in town jealous. They want the poop too, and enlist Cartman, Stan and Kenny to steal the excrement for their own transplants, offering them such goodies as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in exchange.
The kids spot a business opportunity, and pretty soon, almost everyone in town wants in on their services. That leads to the boys discovering the best poop on the planet is actually New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady, a six-time NFL champion; his poop can make a person virtually perfect. However, he's tired of people trying to steal his crap, and so he begins bottling it. The boys realize his secret chamber holds the Spice Melange all of the adults have been talking about.
In Dune, this spice was extracted from the ground, and it became a fundamental block of commerce and technology in the universe. It also played an important role in travel and cultural development, and was the most valuable commodity. On the planet Arrakis, it was produced deep beneath the sands, from the fungal excretions of sandtrout mixing with water to form a pre-spice mass. That mass was brought to the surface through an explosion of pressure, and under the intense heat and air of Arrakis, melange was refined. When the worms died, sandtrout were released into the sand, and the cycle of creation repeated.
When the boys on South Park inquired about the best poop, the adults' inner-monologues mentioned this Spice Melange -- and now they know exactly what it is, gaining clarity on Brady as the key to salvation.
Interestingly enough, Brady didn't reveal his chamber to them; it's actually Kyle who has a vision. And, much like one of the addicts from Dune, he confronts Brady and reveals the goods at the NFL star's mansion. It's then taken and processed en masse, with syringes and containers, before being injected into the butts of South Park's citizens who have fallen ill due to botched transplants.
Now, the spice has become a cure, and Brady actually saves the town with his generosity. Sheila patches things up with the other women, making light of the nasty situation and expressing thanks for the kids' detective work. However, by the time the episode ends, the boys aren't as excited, as there's nothing left to barter.
Starring Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park Season 23 airs Wednesdays at 10 pm ET/PT on Comedy Central.
Fairy Tail is chock full of iconic symbols, characters, and scenes that would look amazing as a tattoo. Some dedicated fans of the series take their love for it to the next level by immortalizing it on their skin with ink. From the different characters to the guild emblem, there are a bunch of super cool ideas for tattoos. Here are 10 of the coolest tattoos that were inspired by the Fairy Tail manga and anime series.
This black and grey tattoo of Erza is beautiful, to say the least. She looks equally intimidating, graceful, and powerful, undeniably one of the strongest members in the Fairy Tail guild. The unwavering stare and solid stance of the tattoo give off just the right Erza vibes.
Equipped in her Clear Heart Clothing, the artistry and shading on the tattoo are perfect. It looks like it's an image right out of the manga, done by Hiro Mashima himself! This tattoo was done at Black Moth Tattoo by Blake Thomas as part of an anime sleeve.
9 Tribal Fairy Tail Emblem
The Fairy Tail emblem is one of the most well-known symbols from the show. As such, tons of people get the emblem tattooed in order to become apart of the Fairy Tail family. This specific Fairy Tail emblem tattoo was done at Disako Ink and has an intricate tribal pattern inside. The black and grey tattoo looks great right above the elbow on the inner arm. The design is pretty cool too, in a Maori style that connotes power, strength, and courage.
Whoever wears this tat must wear it with a smile and Fairy Tail pride.
8 Levy, Gajeel, and Pantherlily
This trio is certainly not one to mess around with. Levy, Gajeel, and Patherlily sure can kick some butt. The Solid Script mage, Iron Dragonslayer, and combat expert exceed are each incredible on their own but put them together and you better hope you're not their opponent. In tattoo form, they look super strong, definitely a force to be reckoned with.
This full-color, boldly outlined tattoo was done by Michela Bottin of Soho Ink.
7 Watercolor Fairy Tail Emblem
Sam Kasai Fox of Avenue 88 Studios did this beautiful watercolor tattoo of the guild emblem. Placed over the chest, it looks as though it was drawn on with a sketchy, graphite-looking outline. The gorgeous light primary color palette goes perfectly, emulating both playfulness as well as classiness. A bit abstract, with some squiggles and extra lines, the design for sure has some exciting artistry to it.
This tattoo is definitely one that would look good on anyone.
6 Happy, Lector, and Frosch
Happy! Lector! Frosch! These three exceeds are just too darn cute. And that is absolutely no exception in tattoo form. Done by xsatansbarbiex at Black Moon Tattoo, this tattoo is everything the exceeds are: upbeat, adorable, and super lovable. Lector and Frosch, the exceed pair of the Sabertooth dragonslayers Sting and Rogue, are the best of friends with Happy, Natsu's exceed sidekick. This tattoo looks wonderful!
5 Frosh in his Frog Suit
Speaking of Frosch, here's another tattoo of the exceed in his cute little frog suit! It's unbelievable that Frosch could get any better. He's a little exceed cat in a frog suit. Who wouldn't want to get that tattooed on themself? Done by Zachery Binx at Twisted Fate Tattoo Studio, this tattoo is awesome. It's tiny in size, so it's almost like little Frosch is peeking out at whoever looks at him!
The small details really kick this tat up a notch; the leaves Frosch is holding are placed just right, and the baby blue background really draws the eye's attention. No doubt that whoever got this tattoo was satisfied with the result.
4 Rainbow Fairy Tail Emblem
This tattoo, done by Bonita Caruana at Horizon Tattoo Co., is bursting with color. Another Fairy Tail guild emblem, the uniquely vibrant colors really help make it stand out as a truly amazing tattoo. The style is bold, bright, and fun. Not to mention, the color scheme is rainbow, so it really just pops in a way that is very appealing to the eye.
The style is very interesting too; it's not quite watercolor, but there's definitely flow and looseness to it that looks wonderful, almost like a paint-splattered canvas.
3 Fairy Tail Main Characters
The amount of intricate detail in this tattoo by Cheryl Hanson-Jones is phenomenal. A variety of the main characters from Fairy Tail are included in this tattoo; there's Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Wendy, Charle, Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, Laxus, and Erza. Excluding Laxus, the rest of the characters would probably be considered the core protagonists of the show. Although, it's hard to distinguish that when there's such a huge amount of characters to consider.
The linework on this anime tattoo sleeve is impeccable. And hopefully, shading or color will be added in the future to really elevate it to the highest level of amazing tattoos.
2 Little Natsu and Happy
This tattoo done by anna.tattoos at Red's Tattoo Parlour is just incredible. Inside of a bold diamond outline is the scene from Fairy Tail when Natsu raises the baby Happy after his dragon egg hatches, and the two become the best friends we all know and love. The tattoo has a sense of nostalgia and familiarity that makes your heart swell with love and pride.
The simple color palette looks great as well. Honestly, everything about this tattoo is amazing! The person with this tat must be really proud to have such sentimental artwork on them.
1 Fairy Tail Dragon Scale Emblem
The person that got this tattoo just might be Natsu Dragneel himself.
This tattoo, done by Tommy Tronic Tattoos, is badass. The idea alone is super cool. Then, when you add all the colors, the small details, and the overall feeling, it just can't be outdone. The iconic flame-colored guild emblem is amazing, the skin rips are tough-looking, and the red dragon scales are just downright superb. Any fan of Fairy Tail would probably love to have this tattoo as their own.
In the world of My Hero Academia, superpowers known as quirks are commonplace, and it's unusual to not have one. Boys and girls with powerful quirks and plenty of courage can enroll at heroics academies around the world, with Japan being home to UA, Shiketsu, Ketsubutsu, and more.
Many pro heroes and trainees use ranged attacks or magic-like powers to take on the forces of evil, from acid to lightning to fire. Other heroes get up close and personal, and their mighty fists and kicks will pummel a villain into dust! Which ten heroes and students have the right quirks and sheer muscle to beat a villain bare-handed?
You can't see her, which is the whole idea. Toru's quirk makes her entire body invisible at all times, even when she is asleep or knocked out. Any clothing or accessories she will wear are still visible, though, so her costume is really just gloves and boots.
All of this makes Toru an ideal scout and spy, especially if she wears nothing. And while she has limited physical power, she can take an opponent by total surprise in melee combat, and aim for their weak points (while avoiding most return fire). In a pinch, she can channel all the light passing through her body to form a blinding ray.
9 Mashirao Ojiro
He's the tail hero of UA's class 1-A, and his quirk is exactly that: a long, powerful tail. It sounds pretty simple, and it really is, but that thing is strong! Ojiro's tail is sheer muscle and bone, and he can use it just the way a monkey would.
Besides, just look at Ojiro's hero costume: a martial arts outfit! His fist-fighting skills are augmented with the maneuverability his tail grants him, and he can strike his opponents with it. How are you supposed to fight off someone with five limbs? Good luck!
8 Rikido Sato
For the most part, Rikido Sato is a gentle giant, being a really friendly guy with a fondness for cakes and desserts. His dorm room doubles as a bakery, and the girls loved it!
But he's got some serious power, too, and Rikido is a towering brute by any standards. Once he eats some sugar (plain or in dessert form), his power shoots through the roof! The effects are temporary, and he will soon suffer a sugar crash, but he's a total powerhouse until then. Care for another slice of cake?
He doesn't look like a fighter at first since he's an excellent student who has some serious bookshelves in his room (and the spare glasses for all that reading). Iida is also the class president and takes his duties seriously.
Then he steps onto the battlefield! Iida is an expert with his engine quirk, allowing him to run and jump with astonishing speed. With Recipro Burst, he can even outmaneuver the prodigy Shoto Todoroki and land a bone-shattering kick. Iida lets his legs do the talking, and he'll either kick a villain into submission or retreat at blinding speed.
6 Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
Yes, that's really his name! This boy is probably one of the strongest members of UA's class 1-B, and his quirk allows him to harden his body into steel, like Colossus of X-Men. He's also got some serious guts and melee skills to make the most of that quirk.
He made it into the top 16 at UA's Sports Festival, where the mirror match of Tetsutetsu vs Eijiro Kirishima was a true test of endurance. In fact, both boys tied in battle, so the match was decided with arm wrestling (Eijiro won). By the sound of it, eating a lot of iron makes Tetsutetsu's quirk even stronger, too.
At first, this entry seems redundant with Tetsutetsu already covered. But not really, since Eijiro has proven himself against even stronger opponents. He can harden his skin to an extreme degree, and he's got the soul of a fighter.
What's funny is that Eijiro used to doubt the heroic potential of his quirk, but that doubt has since melted away. He narrowly beat Tetsutetsu in combat, and he lasted a long time against the incredible powerhouse that is Katsuki Bakugo. He also fought well against scary villains while on patrol with Fat Gum. The young hero known as Red Riot is here to stay!
4 Gran Torino
This old man's best days are behind him, but he's still in the game. In fact, he's the one who trained All Might, and that's saying a heck of a lot. His quirk, jet, allows him to zip around the battlefield like a pinball, owing to the showerhead-like jets on his feet.
Gran Torino thoroughly impressed Izuku during training and proved tough to catch. He was also present when a hero squad kicked down the front door of the League of Villains lair and faced All For One. Retirement? Please!
Now we're really reaching the heights of melee power in My Hero Academia. This is the protagonist himself, born quirkless in a world of quirks and heroes. But he has the brave, selfless soul of a hero all the same, and All Might was deeply impressed. After Izuku completed a grueling training workout to get Olympics-worthy muscles, he was gifted with One For All.
Izuku is still figuring out his new quirk, but he's a quick learner, especially when he started doing more kicks and performed Full Cowling. He took down the monstrous villain Muscular, and he only very narrowly lost to a fully-powered Katsuki Bakugo. He even forced the genius Shoto Todoroki to go all out! And Izuku is still reaching for new heights...
2 Mirio Togata
In a manner of speaking, Mirio, Izuku, and All Might are all in the same club. They were born relatively powerless but had the soul of a hero nevertheless. Mirio's phasing quirk seemed totally useless... until this tough-as-nails boy figured out how to truly use it!
He can phase through the floor, walls, and anything else to ambush his opponents and allow any return fire to pass harmlessly through him. On top of that, he's built like a Greek god (and hits like one), and he uses vast battlefield experience and intuition to win the day. Even among fully professional heroes, his power is incredible.
1 All Might
There was never any doubt, was there? Toshinori Yagi, or All Might, the Symbol of Peace, is more a god than a man. In his prime, absolutely nothing could stand in his way, and he would save the day again and again while inspiring the people with his dazzling smile and reassuring words. In the past, he also helped put a stop (temporarily) to All For One's rampage.
Unfortunately, time has not been kind to All Might, and, as the villains noticed, his power is fading fast. He's the eighth user of One For All, and he has since entrusted it to Izuku. Still, despite his diminished power and serious injury, he fought off a seemingly invincible Nomu at USJ (to Tomura's shock and outrage). Finally, he mustered every scrap of strength to unleash a terrific United States of Smash to put down All For One for good. He's ending things with a bang, all right!
The X-Men are one of the greatest teams in the history of the Marvel Universe. They faced and defeated foes that threatened not only their world but reality itself, and they accomplished that while being hated by a significant portion of humanity. Fortunately, many of the world's non mutant heroes support them and fight by their side. There are also non mutant heroes that support them begrudgingly, some even outright disliking them. It some cases it's because those heroes don't like The X-Men's method of operations. For others, it comes down to personal issue. In many cases, they just don't like Wolverine.
10 Hulk
It's worth noting that Hulk isn't a big fan of most heroes or villains in the Marvel Universe but the X-Men are definitely on that list. His problems with them start with Wolverine, whose first comic book appearance was fighting the big green monster in the wilds of Canada. Their relationship never really improved after that. Hulk's bad vibes for Wolverine have generally extended to the X-Men as a whole, though he does fight by their side when need be. That being said, he'd be just as inclined to burn Professor X's mansion to the ground if the moment called for it.
9 Captain America
The Star Spangled Avenger doesn't have a problem with mutants. There was a point that his team consisted only of himself alongside Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. Cap has frequently been one of the first to come to the X-Men's defense when the situation warrants it. But he's also the first to stand up to them when he has concerns, such as the problems leading up to Avengers vs. X-Men.
Cap also took some issue with the X-Men staying on the sidelines during Civil War. He certainly respects their autonomy but also believes that the way they operate can do more harm than good at times.
8 The Thing
Yet another beef caused by the actions of Wolverine. Saying that Wolverine and The Thing have a tempestuous relationship is putting it mildly. It all came to a head when Wolverine attacked The Thing and slashed his face with his adamantium claws, doing damage that lingered for quite a long time. The injury was susceptible to attacks, making it necessary for Thing to wear a helmet. But considering Thing was already sensitive about his looks, this just exacerbated those bad feelings. They might be willing to work together now but The Thing understandably harbors a grudge that extends to the rest of the X-Men.
7 Iron Man
Wolverine isn't the only member of the X-Men that brings out strong feelings in the rest of the Marvel Universe. Namor has a tendency to do the same, particularly when it comes to founding members of the Avengers like Iron Man. They have faced each other numerous times over the years, even standing on opposite sides of the Civil War fight.
During the first Civil War, Iron Man was the one who met with the X-Men to make sure they wouldn't get involved. They agreed but their intolerance of his stance was apparent. The X-Men have about as much love for him as he does them.
6 Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers has a bit of an old grudge against a member of the X-Men, specifically Rogue. Her mutant power is ability to absorb the powers and memories of other heroes and mutants. This process can do a lot of damage, something Carol Danvers found out first hand. After an extended absence from the Marvel Universe, Carol returned but without her powers and a portion of her memories. This was due to an encounter with a young Rogue who still has the powers of flight, endurance and strength as a result. Years later, Captain Marvel is still angry with Rogue, something that colors all of her dealings with the X-Men.
5 Punisher
It's entirely possible that the Punisher is incapable of liking or disliking anyone. He has a difficult relationship with Wolverine in particular but he's also not a huge fan of the X-Men as a whole. Frank's mission is one that has very few shades of grey in it. Unfortunately, those shades of grey are where the X-Men live their lives.
In the alternate reality of Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe, he slaughtered them for their role in his wife's death. While it's unlikely that the Punisher would ever outright go after the X-Men unless they found their way into his crosshairs in the main timeline, he has no love for them, either.
4 Deadpool
Wade Wilson is a difficult friend to have. Just ask Wolverine. While he as tried to join their ranks at times, Deadpool is one of the "heroes" in the Marvel Universe who finds the X-Men annoying. It pretty much comes down to how seriously the X-Men take...well, everything. Deadpool is a rather unstable individual who leans towards the side of the ludicrous whenever possible. The X-Men are a regimented group whose brand of fun is incongruous with Deadpool. Even when they let him hang around, it doesn't last long because he finds them insufferable.
3 Black Bolt
Not that he'll ever say anything about it but the X-Men drive Black Bolt nuts. As the leader of the Inhumans, Black Bolt knows what it means to be different in a world that doesn't accept you. They are essentially a species of mutants created by the Kree experimenting on humans a long time ago.
As much as you would think this might make them allies, it frequently put the two groups at odds. At one point, all out war broke out between the X-Men and the Inhumans. Black Bolt's silent rage towards the X-Men is something that will continue to fester and will inevitably lead to combat down the road.
2 Blade
A man of singular focus, Blade has spent much of his life hunting and killing vampires, attacking their systems and hierarchy to weaken them. He's also not above getting his hands dirty and running some stakes through some hearts. During the Curse of the Mutants, the X-Men asked for his assistance in dealing with a vampire problem. He and Cyclops had issues from moment one on how to deal with the situation. When Jubilee was turned, Blade wanted to exterminate her. Not surprisingly, the X-Men disagreed. Blade's one purpose in life is pretty straightforward and the X-Men got in the away of it. They won't be having a midday picnic any time soon.
1 Scarlet Witch
She seems like an odd name to include since she is a mutant but when you look at her actions from the outside, it all makes sense. Scarlet Witch has used her abilities to varying degrees of success against the X-Men. With three little words, the vast majority of mutants on Earth lost their powers. Few threats has had a greater impact on mutants than the Scarlet Witch, despite the fact she herself is a hero and a mutant. Her affiliation has always primarily been to the Avengers over the mutants, so it shouldn't be a surprise that she leans away from them.
They don't call him Superman for nothing. With super-strength, flight, super-speed, and various "visions", the mild-mannered reporter known as Clark Kent is practically invulnerable — except when he's exposed to kryptonite or battles Doomsday or forgets to tightly put the covers on the trash cans. You don't want to be around Lois Lane when that happens.
For the most part, these powers and abilities beyond mortal men are what the reading public expects when they see Superman in comics, television, and they movies. What they don't expect is super-makeup, super-hypnosis, or super-bathroom skills. Nevertheless, Supes had some of these abilities over his history. Curious? Here are 10 the 10 Weirdest Superpowers Superman Had That DC Wishes You Forgot About.
10 Rainbow Beams
Give it to writer Silver Age Superman writer Jerry Coleman. When the Comics Code went into effect, he needed to figure out ways Supes could defeat villains without beating the stuffing out of them. The solution, at least for one story in Superman #125, was rainbow beams that shot out of his hands.
Technically, they weren't like the colored beams of Halo, Color Kid, or Rainbow Brite. Instead, they were miniature versions of Superman himself. The power disappeared once mini-Supes sacrificed itself to save his owner from green kryptonite. That chunk of metal, along with the rainbow beams, were never seen again.
9 Shapeshifting
Silly Kryptonian, shapeshifting is for Plastic Man, Chameleon Boy, and Rainbow Brite. Why do you need to change your looks to become a yellow-skinned alien? You're taking away valuable shape-shifting jobs from deserving superheroes.
Yet, this is what Supes did early on, at least for two or three issues. After that, the idea was forgotten and hasn't returned in the Silver, Bronze, or Teflon Ages. Yet, for some reason, they bring back super-mustache growing every so often.
8 Telepathic Control
In the same issue where Superman utilized his shapeshifting abilities (Superman #45), he also demonstrated telepathic control over others. In this case, it was one of the alien beings known as the Collectors. He did this for three reasons.
First, he wanted the alien to give up a machine that allowed the Collectors to travel between dimensions. Second, he needed to get out of his cell so he could impersonate the aliens and return to his own dimension to destroy the machine. Third...he's Superman.
7 Super-Hypnosis
To be honest, it's not much of a leap for Superman to have the ability of super-hypnosis when he telepathically controls other people — although, it is a bit redundant. In reality, while it seems silly, there was a legitimate reason for the power at some point. It helped protect his secret identity.
For instance, he used it to save Lois' life in Action Comics #32. After drinking a potion that left her in a daze, Superman, in his Clark Kent guise, used his super-hypnosis to restore her memory. It worked, including the convenient part where she didn't remember him changing into Superman. Thus, he should have called it Super-Selective Memory.
6 Super-Breath
Time to examine the science of Superman. The man is a living solar battery as well as a warm-blooded human. Therefore, his breath should be warm and, being Superman, should smell like lavender. However, he can perform an exhalation of super breath that freezes people and objects?
Why did this power exist in the first place? Supes has the ability to create man-made vortices to move items out of the way, so that should be sufficient. Second, how does the breath get refrigerated so quickly, particularly in battle? If anything, he should breathe fire instead of ice.
5 Super-Kissing
Turns out, Superman is a manipulative cad. In addition to his powers of telepathic control and super-hypnosis, he can cause amnesia through his super-kissing. Man, if Lois remembered all the times Superman kissed her ...
Many remember Christopher Reeve's Superman kissing Margot Kidder's Lois Lane at the end of Superman II. Though he didn't want to, Superman kissed her so she would forget who he was after she found out. Wait — yes, that sounds right. But it wasn't the first time the brute did this. He gave the comic book Lois a similar smooch to activate her amnesia during the Silver Age. Today, she doesn't remember much before the Bronze Age.
4 Super-Radar
In DC Comics Presents #58, Supes pairs up with Robin and Elongated Man to stop a band of intangible hoodlums who like to steal money from charity events. When the trio of heroes confront these villains, they use a weapon that temporarily blinds the Man of Steel.
Though without his sight-based powers, Superman is still able to rescue a damaged airplane. He does it by clapping his hands to create, "radar-like shock waves" that allow him to find the plane and repair it.
3 Super-Weaving
During the New 52 era of DC Comics, Superman was a 20-something individual. This made him a millennial, hence the reason for wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and sandals when he started his career. So, if he could super-brew his own beer, why didn't writer Grant Morrison bring back the hero's super-weaving ability to crochet a cape for himself?
This isn't super-speed weaving, though it was done quickly. This was putting together a modern wedding dress from the silk of Helen of Troy's marital gown. Not only did Supes weave it, but he also designed it, cut the materials, and added a belt. All he needs to do now is super-bake artisan bread and relocate from Metropolis to Brooklyn.
2 Super-Walking
Superman can change the course of mighty rivers and bend steel in his bare hands. He can turn back time to save Lois from dying. He can tolerate Batman's sour moods without bashing him against the wall. So, why super-walk (basically, just walking) across the U.S.?
Apparently, to find himself. That's what he did in the last major Superman story arc, "Grounded", prior to the New 52 era. Feeling he had distanced himself from the people he was supposed to protect, he walks through a number of towns and cities. Along the way, he plays basketball, saves a woman from suicide, and rescues a mother and child from an abusive relationship. You know, all of this could have been solved by a combination of super-telepathy and super-hypnosis.
1 Flare Vision
"Hey, I have a great idea," they (quite possibly) said in a New 52-based creative meeting. "Let's introduce a new Superman power so he can become human for 24 hours." "Isn't that counter-productive to being a 'super' man?" asked someone else. "You're fired," responded the first person.
Yes, flare vision — Superman's heat vision pumped up to 100. It eliminated everything in its path, including his costume. In addition, his powers vanished while he recharged. During that period of time, he's was as vulnerable as the rest of us poor saps. Fortunately, the new power vanished at the start of the Rebirth era. That, or the post-Crisis Superman decided he didn't want it. Smart idea.
For anyone who has a ritual of watching television with a parent over dinner, it might become more enticing to keep it simple by talking to them, instead. All the initial praise for Game of Thrones is not nearly enough for them to continuously sit through graphic sex scenes with their mom.
Some relationships are maybe mature enough to simply brush off dramatic sex and violence, but that is not always the case. It might do well, then, to check out this list- 5 Safe TV shows you can watch with your parents and 5 that will be uncomfortable AF.
10 A Descendent to the Teen Titans- Young Justice (Comfortable)
Those who had wanted a sixth season for Teen Titans might have been initially disappointed to have Young Justice, instead. The reality, of course, is that Young Justice might be a better replacement for the 2003 series than Teen Titans Go. The show seemingly understands that viewers see animation as beyond campiness, and choose not to sacrifice storytelling in favor of shenanigans. The show may imply sex and occasionally show violence, so it seems to favor older, over younger, audiences.
9 The R-rated Descendent to The Simpsons- Rick and Morty (Uncomfortable)
Should Futurama be too much for your unamused mother, then you might want to steer clear of Rick and Morty. It’s hard enough to watch the show on a plane next to an old woman, without having to convince someone else to try it.
The show does redeem itself with the complex plots that it manages to navigate in the story arch, but before getting there, you have to first delve into a lot of explicative jokes. You’re better off watching Futurama with your mom, really.
8 For the Adults that have Children- Avatar the Last Airbender (Comfortable)
The Last Airbender is seriously a Nickelodeon gem that offers more to enjoy on the network than just the usual SpongeBob SquarePants re-runs. The age difference between parent and child can sometimes mean that their tastes in media rarely ever meet. Nevertheless, the world-building elements, writing efforts, and humor in Avatar the Last Airbender certainly prove otherwise. It just goes to show that when the writing and art are taken seriously, animation can appeal to adults and children.
7 For the Adults that want to Scar Their Children- Doom Patrol (Uncomfortable)
Doom Patrol was one of the first shows to be included in the DC streaming services, and like many of the live-action shows that are on there, it is unapologetically mature. This is not to say that the show leans heavily into their rating for content, rather, it is only the appropriate label.
The modern Doom Patrol in the comics is itself dark, and it would only be fitting that an adaptation would be dark as well. Don’t let a rating stop you from watching by yourself, though.
6 They Mean the Headpiece- The Crown (Comfortable)
From shows like Downton Abbey, Victoria, and The Tudors, there is rarely ever a shortage of television shows related to British aristocracy; and The Crown was certainly no exception. Regardless, though, the show is dynamic in examining the darker side to the heavy expectations for the state, and the precariousness of public relations. The level of sex and violence in the show is hardly worth noting, so it has the potential for shared viewing.
5 They Mean Something Else Entirely- The Boys (Uncomfortable)
It is hardly a surprise that an adaptation of The Boys would feature as much gore and sex as it did. To be honest, though, the show’s graphicness was far less shocking than the original source material.
It would seem that in this adaptation disgusting sex was exchanged for an obscene amount of blood. The story is, nonetheless, engaging to follow throughout the on-going mess, so it's just about special effects.
4 Don’t Like Gilmore Girls? Try This- The Marvelous Miss Maisel (Comfortable)
The show Miss Maisel has a charm to it that few current dramas manage to accomplish in their own writing. Many of the performances by the actors in this show further cement this element. More than not, however, it is the protagonist that carries the show with her compelling wit. The most controversial that show has gotten, was with a scene featuring a naked male model. Still, as with most of these entries, this show was never meant to be watched by younger audiences. Dismissing this show, simply due to a couple of scenes, would really be a missed opportunity to enjoy good content.
3 Dirty Breaks to the Fourth Wall- Flea Bag (Uncomfortable)
Though this show doesn't include a fully naked man, it is neither one to flinch at the notion of on-screen sex, either. Although not everyone has an issue with watching a sex scene with a parent, it is nevertheless the case that shows like Flea Bag can test one's endurance.
Yes, the show offers an exploration into internal discontent, and though it might not be as awkward as say Sex and the City, it still depends on the viewer's judgment.
2 Swearing but Good Swearing- Derry Girls (Comfortable)
In the end, it is perhaps best to stick with the simplicity of swearing, because, let’s be honest, it is much less uncomfortable to hear the f-word than to see it acted out. Derry Girls certainly proves true with the hilarious hodgepodge of Irish slang and cussing done by the main cast. What is perhaps even more captivating about the show, however, is the ability of the story to capture both the enticing chaos of the group as well as the love that is interwoven between them. Whether it is with a parent or not, Derry Girls is simply worth the watch.
1 Seriously, Do the Research for this- Black Mirror (Uncomfortable)
Anyone who watches Black Mirror is probably familiar with a varying exploration into dark themes of the human relationship with advanced technology. They would furthermore know how it is rare, though, for the show to not hold back regarding sex (even going so far as to entertain bestiality). Other components, such as the unlikeliness of a happy ending, risks darkening the mood. While the writing themes of the show are what matters the most, it is nevertheless bound to lead to an awkward situation. All in all, though, it is the viewer who has to decide what is comfortable or uncomfortable for themselves.
Audiences have a long time to wait until Jurassic World 3 hits theaters and concludes Colin Trevorrow's ever-expanding story. The last cinematic instalment, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, saw the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar unleashed upon the American continent, almost ensuring a sizeable scope for the third and final film.
Universal Pictures has now released a new Jurassic World motion comic. "Rising Tide," the first in a series, briefly explores the aftermath of Fallen Kingdom, in which the giant Mosasaurus escaped into the open ocean in the first act. The 3-minute clip features a news report of the escaped aquatic monster as it terrorizes surfers and beach-goers around Oahu, Hawaii. It's mainly shown from the perspective of a reporter, who is hinted to know more than she lets on.
The clip itself doesn't seem to include much more than that. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how this series helps to develop the franchise and, more importantly, how it helps set up the events of Jurassic World 3, if at all. Three more episodes will soon follow and each one is said to unfold from a new character's perspective.
Trevorrow himself did help to fill the space between the two major releases with his short film, Battle at Big Rock, in which fans were shown how the escaped dinosaurs were impacting human society. Beyond that, as is the case with this single motion comic episode, nothing was shown that could shed light on the current trilogy's principal characters; there is just the promise that Owen, Claire and the franchise's classic heroes will be up against an almost impossible challenge.
Directed by Colin Trevorrow, Jurassic World 3, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum. The film is set to be released on June 11, 2021
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for "An Almost Religious Awe," the latest episode of Watchmen.
Watchmen's latest episode, "An Almost Religious Awe," ended with a shocking cliffhanger that finally brought Doctor Manhattan to the HBO series. The big twist came when the episode revealed Angela's husband Cal has secretly been Doctor Manhattan all along, without his even knowing it.
Following the conclusion of the episode, HBO released a promo for next week's highly anticipated episode. The next installment is set to reveal the mysterious connection between Angela Abar and Jon Osterman.
The promo shows how the couple met in Vietnam and teases an epic showdown between Angela and the Seventh Kavalry. With only two episodes left, the series is gearing up for an epic finale, and HBO is now promoting these upcoming final chapters with a new Watchmen-themed logo.
The logo, which debuted at the end of the promo, replaces the "O" of HBO with Doctor Manhattan's signature hydrogen atomic symbol. Naturally, it also has the appropriate shade of blue synonymous with the comic book character.
Episode 8, "A God Walks Into a Bar," airs Dec. 8. The season finale airs the following Sunday on Dec. 15.
Developed by Damon Lindelof, HBO's Watchmen stars Jeremy Irons, Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jean Smart, Louis Gossett Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison, James Wolk, Adelaide Clemens, Andrew Howard, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, Lily Rose Smith and Adelynn Spoon. The series airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for the seventh episode of Watchmen, "An Almost Religious Awe," which premiered Sunday on HBO.
HBO's Watchmen takes place more than three decades after the events of the seminal comic series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, and centers on a new protagonist, Angela Abar (Regina King), a masked police detective known as Sister Night. However, the television sequel has also introduced characters from the source material, such as Jeremy Irons as Adrian Veidt, Jean Smart as Laurie Blake, now an FBI agent, as Louis Gossett Jr. as Hooded Justice. And, in this week's episode, we learned that Doctor Manhattan has been hiding in plain sight from the very beginning.
But if the clues dropped in the latest episode are any indication, we could see the return of a fourth: Eddie Blake, aka the Comedian. Yes, he was murdered in the comic, but bear with us.
In "An Almost Religious Awe," Angela Abar spends most of the episode recovering from at Lady Trieu's facility following her overdose of Nostalgia pills. There, the eccentric trillionaire reveals more clues about her past -- as well as about her family. As many fans suspected, Trieu's daughter, Bian, isn't who she appears to be. She's actually a clone of Trieu's mother, who's being fed her own memories by IV injection. As Trieu explains, she's on the verge of her greatest accomplishment, and she wishes her parents to be there with her when it occurs.
But the real hint that another vigilante from the comic may be returning comes when Angela asks Trieu about her father. The trillionaire replies that he will be here soon. We don't have confirmation of who Trieu's father is, but the HBO series' own Peteypedia files have heavily teased he may be Eddie Blake. The Comedian spent a lot of time in Vietnam during the war, where he impregnated a local woman. Although he later shot and presumably killed her, it's now theorized the woman may have survived.
If that is the case, then Lady Trieu might be planning to bring back the Comedian, who was murdered by Veidt in the Watchmen comic in order to keep his plan a secret. Someone as resourceful as Trieu would have no trouble acquiring the DNA of the late Eddie Blake. She may not have his own memories to feed back to him, like she has done to her mother, but perhaps she has enough to bring back at least a version of him.
What's more, such a return would not only allow Lady Trieu to finally meet her father, it would also permit Laurie to reunite with -- or else confront -- hers too.
Developed by Damon Lindelof, HBO's Watchmen stars Jeremy Irons, Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jean Smart, Louis Gossett Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison, James Wolk, Adelaide Clemens, Andrew Howard, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, Lily Rose Smith and Adelynn Spoon. The series airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The Arrowverse isn't the only TV universe headed for a crisis.
In a new trailer for Doctor Who Season 12, the Doctor herself issues a warning about the "big, serious crisis" to come. She doesn't offer any further details before the promo throws her into action with car chases, explosions and deadly new aliens. The trailer also offers a look at Stephen Fry and Sir Lenny Henry CBE in their Whoverse debuts.
Doctor Who stars Jodie Whittaker as the thirteenth iteration of the titular Time Lord. Whittaker is joined by co-stars Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill in a series spearheaded by new showrunner Chris Chibnall. Ahead of the New Year's Special premiere, production of Season 12 now officially completed.
Doctor Who Season 12 premieres on Jan. 1, 2020 at 8 pm on BBC with a two-part holiday special. The new season and all previous 11 seasons will stream on HBO Max in early 2020.
