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The Last of Us Episode 7 (HBOMax): The Last of Us finally gets into Ellie’s backstory, however, it does not go far enough back in her story to actually get into the true origin of her character. This seems like it’s just a long way to get to the point where Ellie finds out that she’s immune to cordyceps, however, it is a worthwhile trip because watching her complex relationship with Riley unfold is interesting for the character. That said, probably the other parts of her story will be exposited at some point in the last two episodes, especially considering Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson are slated to appear and they still haven’t.
The Bad Batch Season 2 Episode 10 (Disney+): This falls into the standard pitfalls of the Star Wars animated shows of the past where it feels like a filler episode that does not do a ton to move the plot along. It’s a pretty paint-by-numbers episode; they have to get the ship back, encounter pirates, trust someone they probably shouldn’t, and get away after.
The Flash Season 9 Episode 3 (CW/CW App): There hasn’t been an episode since the 100th episode that is as infuriating in terms of the characters in the show just acting out of character to promote the plot. Taking out of the equation the rest of the wider Arrowverse, which on one hand is the downfall of these interconnected universes but when the show namedrops Kara Danvers two episodes earlier and in this episode, Luke Fox and Ryan Wilder actually factor into the plot off camera it can’t be absolved from criticism, there are plenty of non-Rogue characters that Barry could call on to go on this mission. The stakes are set at the highest possible level by having a speedster stealing parts to build a Cosmic Treadmill to destroy the fabric of reality so why is the solution to gather a bunch of C-list villains instead of even making an attempt to reach out to other characters on the show? Allegra is underutilized to a borderline criminal degree and she is a meta-human with light powers who could have been useful in this episode. Why was Chillbane brought back the episode after Barry and the rest of the team did the opposite of what he wanted leading to (in his perception) Barry and the team killing Frost and Caitlyn? It’s just a series of ridiculous decisions that are entirely designed to have someone turn on the team (which also happens every season when Barry decides to team up with a bunch of Rogues) and get Red Death what she needs to finish the treadmill.
This Week In Theaters:
Creed III: Following the success of the previous two Creed movies, Creed III is directed by and stars Michael B. Jordan as the son of Apollo Creed as he faces down an old friend from his past named Damian (played by Jonathan Majors who is just having a fantastic run over the last few years). Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad also star.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre: Following a year-long delay, speculated to be due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine (due to the fact that the antagonists are Ukrainian terrorists) Guy Richie’s latest movie with Aubrey Plaza and Jason Statham finally hits theaters.
Outside of these two major theatrical releases, the classic film Casablanca will be screened as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series on March 5th and March 8th.
Last Week At The Box Office:
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: $32.2 Million
Cocaine Bear: $23.1 Million
Jesus Revolution: $15.5 Million
Avatar: The Way of Water: $4.7 Million
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish: $4.1 Million
Programming Notes:
This week on Wednesday, March 1st, The Mandalorian returns for its third season so prepare for a double dose of Pedro Pascal between The Mandalorian and The Last of Us over the next two weeks.
