Author Archive | Ali Trotta

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Love, Lines Crossed, and Family Ties on SUPERGIRL

Supergirl’s 15th episode (“O Brother, Where Art Thou?”) was an interestingly structured one, introducing us to a frenetic Lex, hellbent on madness and science. That was the Lex of the past. The present one is more contained, but no less sharp. Jon Cryer had a pinpoint delivery of every line, every look. Having him tell […]

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New Timelines and Revelations on THE FLASH

The Flash’s 16th episode (“Failure is an Orphan”) is full of hits and misses. Iris tries to spend every last minute with Nora, while Nora is single-mindedly focused on saving her dad. Nora is absolutely frenetic about it, getting more and more wound up as the episode goes on (it was worth it to get […]

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Heart vs. Hate on SUPERGIRL

Supergirl’s 14th episode (“Stand and Deliver”) had me shouting at the tv a few times, y’all. First of all, Dreamer/Nia is amazing (Nicole Maines is wonderful). I love, love, love her over-the-top nerd joy over being a superhero. It’s so charming to see so much joy—wearing her suit when she doesn’t have to, trying to […]

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Love in the Time of King (Shark) on THE FLASH

The Flash’s 15th episode (“King Shark vs. Gorilla Grodd”) was a bit of good fun, from the fun quips, to Sherloque muttering in French, to all the Rampage-like fight scene. I especially liked the issue of consent, specifically when Cisco calls Barry out on his poor behavior with King Shark (truly, a sentence I never […]

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Change and Villainy is Afoot on SUPERGIRL

Supergirl’s 13th episode (“What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?”) has a surprising amount of humor to it, for one with so much chaos. The quips really were on point (Kara’s “Who’s Clockwork Orange?” Alex’s “Outmatched by a fricking hat.” And Brainy sneering “Kleenx” in the Fortress of Solitude). These punctuate Nia […]

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Frakking With Time and Romance on THE FLASH

The Flash’s 14th episode (“Cause and XS”) proves that Nora is absolutely Barry’s daughter, because I exclaimed “Nora, no” several times. I will say that there’s always an earnest sweetness to her screw ups, because she genuinely means well. I also love that Sherloque is often the only one to observe her weirdness initially, picking […]

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Face to Face With the Truth on THE FLASH

The Flash’s 13th episode (“Goldfaced”) gave us Thawne, being both creepy and wise: “A man does not wear another man’s face, unless he understands his mind.” It was an interesting observation about Sherloque that he had, but I’m more interested in the fact that Sherloque married the same woman on multiple earths. Fascinating detail, and […]

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Memory Is Flawed on THE FLASH

The Flash’s 12th episode (“Memorabilia”) has some really cute moments—and a lot of WTF. First, Ralph tricking Cisco into hanging at the bar? Adorable. And surprisingly poignant. It is lovely how far Ralph’s character has come; I love how much he relishes having people in his life. Hartley Sawyer is so, so bloody good in […]

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A Dream Is a Wish—Or Heartbreak on SUPERGIRL

Supergirl’s 11th episode (“Blood Memory”) was excellent. I loved getting to see Nia’s hometown, getting to learn more of her backstory. There’s a certain reverence in her voice, before she and Kara take their road trip. It was sweet to see a character with such fondness for home, such a strong sense of community and […]

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Confronting Your Worst Fears on THE FLASH

The Flash’s eleventh episode (“Seeing Red”) carried a lot of emotional weight. When Nora is injured by Cicada, there are a lot of questions, and her fears rang true: “What if I don’t heal, Mom? What if I don’t get better.” Props to Jessica Parker Kennedy for selling a multitude of emotions, including when she […]

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Be Mindful of Villainy on SUPERGIRL

Supergirl’s 10th episode (“Suspicious Minds”) had me shouting at the television a lot. And I mean that in a good way. First off, Haley is terrible and must be stopped. She’s come to represent people who follow orders, without a sense of right, without a moral compass. You know, like the Nazis did. Good times. […]

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Second Chances and Redemption on THE FLASH

The Flash’s 10th episode (“The Flash & the Furious”) made me a little frustrated at times, but I think the overall message was solid. While Nora’s anger and rampant distrust was a bit grating, I enjoyed the central theme, which is that people can change. It’s so easy to put someone in a box, point […]

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Boy, Bye: SUPERGIRL Closes the Book on Elseworlds

Supergirl’s ninth episode (“Elseworlds, Part 3”) was almost entirely a delight. First of all, Cisco as a low-rent gangster bank robber, who referred to Superman as Superdick? Genius. (This line was also fantastic: “Gary’s still cleaning up from the last mess you made, Clockwork Orange.” And goodness, I feel like Gary keeps getting the short […]

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Welcoming the Future, Treasuring the Past.