Doctor Strange

"Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all." - The Ancient One "Which is?" - Dr. Strange

"It's not about you." - The Ancient One

dr-strange

Doctor Strange

Dr. Strange takes us in a different direction for the Marvel Cinematic Universe than we have been in before, but yet still has the same origin story formula that has been used in prior movies. The difference is that with previous Avenger characters, such as Iron Man, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow etc., these mortals become superheroes based on their human abilities, as well as with their technology that they are able to create. Even to some degree, Spider-Man, Captain American, and Hulk, are the result of bio-technology that has been created by other men.

Dr. Strange takes a different route, one that doesn't involve mortal technology, and is closer to Thor than any of the other Avengers. While using what could be considered magic, Dr. Stephen Strange is able to harness energy and power from other dimensions. The movie does an acceptable job of explaining what this power is and where it comes from. This explanation lends itself to a more pragmatic practice, than a magical practice.

Cinematically, it takes a different route as well, visually I would best describe it as Inception combined with The Matrix. The chase and fight scenes that take place throughout the film are amazing and fun to watch!

As Strange studies and learns more from the magical tomes of The Ancient One, he is able to gain the knowledge needed to use the magic to access other dimensions as well as the astral (spiritual) plane. This area is one that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) hasn't covered before. Opening this door allows for a whole new branch of stories. I think that this possiblity of alternate dimensions combined with the storylines of Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy will keep the MCU fresh and provide many opportunities for different types of antagonists for the heroes to battle with.

SPECIFIC SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT

As a movie, Dr. Strange hits all the marks that you would expect from a Marvel Universe movie. It was funny, emotional, engaging, action packed, and furthered the overall storyline of the MCU. (Dr. Strange is considered Chapter 2 of Phase 3) I believe the most important reveal in this movie is the revelation of and the inclusion of the last Infinity Stone - the Time Stone, that is embedded in the Eye of Agamoto. This Stone allows for Dr. Strange to manipulate time throughout the film as he faces off against the villains.

So far we have five of the six Infinity Stones that have been revealed: the Space Stone (the Tesseract from Captain America: The First Avenger), the Reality Stone (the Aether from Thor: The Dark World), the Power Stone (the Orb from Guardians of the Galaxy) and the Mind Stone (Loki's scepter/Vision's power source from The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron). The one remaining Infinity Stone that is yet to be revealed is the Soul Stone.

These stones are what eventually Thanos uses to attempt a takeover of the Universe, a conflict that is slowly arriving and will be shown in The Avengers: Infinity War. Before then, we'll see Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 in May 2017, then Spider-Man: Homecoming in July 2017, then Thor: Ragnorak in November 2017. While the Soul Stone will most likely be revealed in one of these movies (probably in Thor: Ragnarok), I'm curious to see how these three movies will play into the overall story.

Dr. Strange adds more great characters to the MCU, and with the mid-credit scene, we see that at the very least, Strange and Thor will be teaming up in the near future. Rumors are out that Strange, Thor, and The Hulk will be featured heavily in Thor: Ragnarok (Thor 3). It's a small step from there until Strange is featured in the next The Avengers movie.

This Dr. Strange movie is a step in the MCU and while it is great as a standalone movie, this movie is definitely a set up for future Marvel stories. With Strange learning how to use his power and mastering his arrogance, he was then able to defeat Dormammu and become the next Sorcerer Supreme.This story sets him up for future MCU movies as described previously, as well as a sequel, with Mordo being the next villain. In the comics, Mordo, aka Baron Mordo, is a major villain for Dr. Strange. In this film Mordo becomes disenfranchised from the path he was on with Dr. Strange and with the action he took against Pangborn, in the end credits scene, Mordo will definitely be a thorn in Strange's side for any future stories.

I enjoyed Dr. Strange and felt that it was well directed and was a great origin story for a character not too well known in the general public's eye. Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelson, and Chiwetel Ejiofor were great in this movie. Now, Tilda Swinton. She did a great job as The Ancient One, and her performance was well done. It was just weird seeing her as a bald woman. I was constantly distracted by her bald head. Now this is coming from a bald person, so I can relate to the baldness. But some people (man or woman) just have strangely shaped bald heads, and she came across as one of those persons (as far as I know she isn't bald in real life and it was a makeup job), so maybe my criticism should be against the make up person. I don't think that it matters if The Ancient One was Asian or not, I applaud the decision to make The Ancient One a female, and like I said, Ms. Swinson was great in the role.

I recommend watching this movie and buying it when it comes out on blu-ray. I hope you enjoy watching it and piecing it in to the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe storyline as much as I did.

Transformers: The Last Knight Trailer

Today the first trailer for the next Transformers movie: The Last Knight was released. Just like the previous Transformers movies, it looks like a lot of fun, crazy, robotic madness with explosions and tons of action! I can't wait to see it. https://youtu.be/hzDKE147Utc

The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson

 

Return to the Cosmere world of Sel in the novella of The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson. The story of Elantris and this one both take place on Sel, but are not overtly connected and don't rely on each other narratively (at least at this point). This novella was recently released in the collection of stories, Arcanam Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson.

In The Emperor's Soul we are introduced to a new magic system and a new civilization. We meet Shai who is a thief and a Forger, who is being held captive for theft by a group of nobles who need her to restore the Emperor's soul to him. The Emperor was attacked by assassin's, and while he still lives, he is in a coma and unable to speak. A bargain is struck with Shai that if she is able to restore the Emperor, they will let her go.

The magic system that Shai is able to use is called Forging. This requires that the Forger learn all she can about her subject and recreate memories, habits, opinions, etc. and put them into a soulstone stamp so that the individual can use this soulstamp on a daily basis to remind them of their lost memories.

Most of the story takes place in Shai's room that she is being imprisoned in while creating the soulstamp for the Emperor. While this sounds kind of boring, it's actually filled with great character development, political intrigue, and interesting world building. The story takes place over a period of 90 days, but moves really fast and has great pacing.

While The Emperor's Soul is only a novella and takes place in such a confined area, there is so much information learned about this newly introduced Rose Empire of Sel. The devil is in the details as they say. I guarantee you'll be reading this one over and over to try and figure out how it not only connects with Elantris, but the rest of the Cosmere.

Harley Quinn and Robin

Just in case you missed it, I know I did the first couple of times. 

I'm pretty sure this scene from Suicide Squad and the following from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice are related. 

I really hope this is explored in an upcoming DCCU movie. 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child pt. 1 & 2

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child pt. 1 & 2 is the 8th story in the Harry Potter storyline. While this story does continue Harry and Friends story, it is a different format than the previous stories. Book 8 is still in written form, but is in script form instead of novel form. I was wary of reading a 300 page script that was originally written for the stage and how that would play out. After a few minutes of reading it became easier to follow along and see who was speaking and the setting they were in. In some ways it was a quicker read than one of the novels, as due to the format the story couldn't get bogged down (for better or for worse) in the details of what people were wearing, what the room looked like, etc. It was a quick read that covered a lot of ground in such a few pages.

This book felt like a Harry Potter story from the beginning, it brought me right back into the Potterverse and there was no looking back. That is one thing I liked about the story, is that there wasn't much time spent on rehashing the past stories. This book added upon what we already knew and expanded the Harry Potter story real well. I'm interested in seeing how the play turns out and if it as entertaining as the book.

Without giving away a major plot point, there were some 'flash backs' and some 'flash forwards' that could have been long and drawn out. But they weren't and they added an extra dimension to what we already know about the story. It was good to revisit characters who are no longer with us, but the story wasn't too reliant on them. This story was able to stand on it's own and created it's own history with enjoyable new characters.

I'm not sure where they are going with this book, if it's a start of a new series or if it's just a quick visit back to the Wizarding World. I like they J.K. Rowling is willing to try new ways to tell stories in the world she has created, so as to keep the stories and mediums fresh and interesting. I do hope that at least a couple of more stories are told with these new characters and that these characters are allowed to have new adventures.

If you enjoyed reading the Harry Potter novels or watching the movies, but were apprehensive about the new story format, don't worry as it worked well enough. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a good investment of time to jump back into Harry's life and see what he's up to nowadays. I recommend giving it a read.

New Dr. Strange Trailer

I'm loving this new trailer from Marvel's upcoming Dr. Strange movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch! It's look to add a completely new dimension to the Marvel Universe. I'm hoping that this movie will add some variety to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the movies are entertaining, I feel that we are seeing a lot of the same thing over and over in the MCU. There's a very big Inception vibe to this movie which promises some amazing visuals and hopefully, the story will match these visuals. It'll be interesting to see how this movie fits in to the MCU and what impact this will have on future movies. https://youtu.be/Fdhu8i_4olE

Man of Steel II

Wait, I thought he was dead?! Spoiler Alert!!

TheWrap.com is reporting that Warner Bros is starting development for a Man of Steel sequel. Just when you thought Superman was dead (as shown in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and solidified in Suicide Squad), he's back! Ok, I don't think anyone really thought he was dead Dead, but now we know for sure that he isn't.

Even though it has been speculated and planned previously that DC and WB would eventually do a MoS sequel, I guess it's now official. I'm glad they are moving forward with this, I'd love to see The Batman (directed by and starring Ben Affleck) and Man of Steel II in theaters in the same calendar year. DC could create some great excitement from releasing them in the same year, months apart, and have the stories be interconnected on some level. I guess we'll see what DC and WB have in store for us as more details are announced.

Star Trek Beyond

I have enjoyed these new Star Trek movies that have rebooted the franchise and taken the story off in to a new direction. I think JJ Abrams has brought new life into a franchise that was slowly dying off. I feel that Beyond was a good addition to this new storyline, and that the movie franchise is headed in the right direction.

I had a mixed reaction to this film, as there were a lot of story elements, action sequences, and new characters that I really liked. There were also story elements, action sequences, and new characters that I found to be  boring and uninteresting. Warning: There will be spoilers discussed below.

First the boring and uninteresting. I found the film's villian, Krall, to be the same ol', same ol', which is too bad as Idris Elba is a great actor. There was nothing new or creative about him in this film. What we get is a former good guy that experiences a crisis and becomes bitter. He feels wronged by Starfleet and then seeks revenge on the establishment who did him wrong.

The next boring thing is something I was surprised that I found it boring. The action sequence of the Enterprise being completely destroyed, once again. While I'm guessing if this was the first Star Trek movie I'd ever seen, I would find this scene gripping and shocking. However, how many times has the Enterprise been destroyed? In my eyes, too many to make it relevant anymore, and they always rebuild it, and they always let Kirk be the Captain again. There is no drama to this event happening, as it continues to be portrayed over and over again. In fact the rebuilding of the Enterprise at the end of the movie was glossed over and they showed it happen in about 30 seconds. I think I would be more surprised if they made it through a movie without the Enterprise being destroyed at this point.

Another boring plot point is the crew being held captive on the planet and having to be rescued by Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, and the new girl. There was no drama to it. You knew it was going to happen, and the way they were freed wasn't that exciting. Also, the lack of Uhura's screen time is almost criminal. She was such a strong, fun, enjoyable character in the previous two movies, and to have her relegated to the role (or lack of a role) in this movie is probably the worst thing in this movie! It's like the writer, Simon Pegg, went back to the 1960's and relegated her to a backup character.

Ok, just so you don't think I hated this movie, which I didn't, I will praise the film for it's fun and interesting parts! First of all, the introduction of Jaylah is a good addition to the franchise and I hope she is brought back for future Star Trek adventures. I enjoyed the extra screen time that we got for Bones and Spock together, as well as Chekov (RIP Anton) and Kirk. I think that having an ensemble cast with actors and characters such as these of the Enterprise crew can make it hard to divvy up screen time and plot points between all of them. (but still, Uhura needed more screen time!)

I liked how the film started off with Kirk being bored after being in space for over 2 years, because I've always thought that it would get monotonous real quick. I enjoyed how Kirk was able to find his motivation to stay with the Enterprise and refocus on his career.

I liked how they found the old starship, USS Franklin, and had to resurrect it and get it up and running in order to escape the planet. The end chase scene through the city and the subsequent fight between Kirk and Krall was pretty intense and it was a great way to end the conflict.

Oh, and no Carol Marcus? Another missed opportunity, as she was a great character in the last film, Into Darkness.

Some things that I liked in theory, but thought it didn't work well in the execution of it. First of all, the Beastie Boys defeat the massive enemy invasion? I love the Beastie Boys, I grew up with them and have all of their albums. I thought the inclusion of their song in the first Star Trek was clever and appropriate. However, in Beyond it seemed forced and too simplistic of a way to defeat the highly advanced, technological threat of Krall and his army. Maybe if the crew would have been listening to Sabotage while fighting the enemy and defeating them in a different manner? I could get behind that.

Another thing was Kirk riding the motorcycle through the enemy camp while no one could pick him off. I like the visual of him tearing it up and avoiding the enemy, but I'm pretty sure my 15 year old son could've taken him out at some point during the 10+ minutes of riding around the camp.

So with all this being said, I did enjoy the film and I'm glad they are doing a fourth film in this new Star Trek universe. I'm curious to see how George Kirk will play into the story. Knowing JJ, there's some alternate universe/time travel element to it. If Spock can meet up with his future self, then Kirk can meet his dad, right?

Of the three new Star Trek movies, Star Trek Beyond is my third favorite. I put Star Trek Into Darkness as my favorite, then Star Trek, followed by Beyond.

1- Star Trek Into Darkness

2- Star Trek

3 - Star Trek Beyond

Harry Potter Book 8 Midnight Release Party

My brother in law, Marc, and I went to the midnight book release party for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1 and 2 that was put on by Salt Lake Comic Con and hosted at Weller Books in Salt Lake City. There were some fun activities, such as cosplay contests for multiple categories, a Harry Potter trivia contest, and some Harry Potter themed panels.

It was a fun time with lots of energy and excitement that only a Harry Potter themed event can bring!

Dan Farr, the President of Salt Lake Comic Con, was present and was walking around and mingling with fans. He even drove his awesome car to the event!

While I do have my nits to pick about Salt Lake Comic Con, I do feel that it is a first rate Comic Con and has provided a lot of fun to the Salt Lake area and is competing with the big boys of Comic Cons, San Diego and New York. I feel that Dan Farr and Bryan Brandenburg are doing a good job at getting SLCC up and running. I can imaging that putting on an event of this size is colossal and quite a chore to manage it and to keep improving it like they have.

It's small events like this Harry Potter book release party and all the movie premier party's that they do makes me appreciate that Dan, Bryan, and all the SLCC staff really are fans and want to continually improve to make Salt Lake one of the premier locations for Comic Cons and fandoms of every kind.

The Dark Knight and The Man of Steel Collection

The collection is growing! I can't wait to add Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman,  Justice League, and more to my shelf.

Justice League Footage!

One of the most exciting things to come out of San Diego Comic Con this past weekend was a trailer of sorts, of the upcoming Justice League movie. In this exclusive footage, we get to see Bruce Wayne visiting Arthur Curry (Aquaman) and Barry Allen (The Flash) and inviting them to join with him for an upcoming, unknown threat. We see Bruce and Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) planning out how to create a super team. We also see three of them (Bruce, Barry, and Diana)  together, along with Cyborg (Victor Stone) walking into an abandoned room.

Following on the heels of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where we saw very small glimpses of Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg, it was great to see them a little longer in this trailer and see more of their personalities as we watch them interact with Bruce. We also briefly see a Mother Box being buried in the ground. We saw two Mother Box's in Dawn of Justice, one that essentially combined with Victor Stone and presumably turned him into Cyborg. The other was in Ultimate Edition, when we see Lex Luthor communing with Steppenwolf (a DC villain and Darkseid follower) and a Mother Box is present.

Justice League is set to be released November 17th 2017.

https://youtu.be/gglkYMGRYlE

Wonder Woman SDCC Trailer

We got our first look at the upcoming Wonder Woman movie, as the first trailer and teaser poster was released this weekend at San Diego Comic Con. The trailer was great in that it showed some great action, showed the main characters and gave us a little of their motivations and personalities, but didn't reveal the main plot and left us intrigued.

We were able to see Wonder Woman's abilities and fighting style, which is amazing and promises some great visuals that hopefully are just a glimpse of what we'll see in the actual movie. Wonder Woman is due to be released on June 2nd 2017. Check it out below!

https://youtu.be/5lGoQhFb4NM

Stranger Things

  Stranger Things is a Netflix original series consisting of eight 50 minute episodes. As the show is set in the 1980's, we are treated with a lot of '80's references throughout the show. Music, TV, movies, Dungeons and Dragons, and other pop culture references are all over the place in the show. The show could've been filmed in that timeframe with the tone, ambiance, sets, and everything else as the authenticity is amazing.

The show is about 4 early teenage boys who and their families who live in a small town and how they deal with a tragedy that strikes when one of the boys goes missing. The show takes us on a journey as the remaining three friends spend time searching for their missing friend. The show gets strange as monsters, other dimensions, and a girl with special powers are introduced into the story.

Stranger Things is funny, scary, intense, and nostalgic. Reminiscent of classic 1980 shows like ET and Stand by Me, as well as more recent shows like Fringe and Super 8, Stranger Things is a must see for any science fiction fan. The eight episode series is long enough to devote time to character and story development, but not too long that the story drags on unnecessarily.

Smallville Season 7 Episode 18-Apocalypse

Apocalypse shows up what would happen if Kal-El hadn't made it to Earth and the results of Lex Luthor's quest for power. While reminiscent of It's a Wonderful Life, this episode shows us some previews of Clark and Lois and the chemistry they will later have. We see how Clark will embrace his destiny after trying to put it off for some time. In this alternate timeline, we get to see Clark Kent in the press reporter outfit with glasses that we have come to know and love. Kara is rescued from Krypton and we get to see baby Kal-El once again. This episode is full of nostalgic moments, at least if you're old enough to have seen the Superman movie from the late 70's. While I am not a fan of the episodes where Clark's secret is revealed to a major character, but then by the end of the episode those characters no longer remember it, this one was well done and entertaining.

At the loft in the Kent barn, Clark Kent is reading Dr. Virgil Swan's journal. Choe Sullivan comes in and Clark tells Chloe that he received another message from Kara Kent on Krypton. Clark needs to go back to Krypton to stop them from destroying him as a baby. Clark decides not to go back in time to Krypton. Chloe pleads with Clark to go back to Krypton, and puts the key into his hand. He says that this planet would be better off if he had never existed. They key emits a light and Clark wakes up in the barn. A teenager comes in and asks him what he is doing in there. The boy reveals that he is Clark Kent.

Clark goes into the farmhouse and sees pictures of Jonathan and Martha Kent with the new Clark Kent. The new Clark Kent tells him to get out of the home. Clark decides to check on his friends, and looks up their addresses to go talk with them. He tracks down Chloe Sullivan, and she doesn't know him. He introduces himself to her and asks about Lana Lang. She doesn't know where she is. Chloe is engaged and introduces him to her fiance. Clark tells her that he is happy for her.

Clark goes to the Daily Planet and runs into Jimmy Olsen. He enlists Jimmy to help track down Lana. Jimmy does a search for her, and discovers that Lana is now married with kids. Clark is happy for Lana, and turns to leave and bumps into Lois Lane. Clark catches her and she comments on how cute he is. She invites Clark to have a drink with him after work. Just then, the feds come in and arrest Lois for possessing government property. The leader of the group is Kara Kent, they take Lois off in handcuffs. Jimmy reveals that Lex Luthor is President. Clark tells him that he has to stop Lex. Jimmy is about to shred some evidence and tells Clark that Lois has him run errands for her. Jimmy tells Clark who to talk to to find out more information.

Clark goes to a bar to find this person, and sees the old Sheriff of Smallville, Sheriff Adams, but she doesn't recognize him. She happens to be the person that Clark needs to get information from. He tells her that Lois was arrested, Adams doesn't know this. Clark wants to know where she is, Adams tells him.

Black SUV's pull up to a facility and bring Lois out. Clark disables the security guards and grabs Lois. She is twitterpated at being rescued by Clark.

They go to Jimmy's place and Lois tells Clark that she has confidential information,a video, that would incriminate Lex Luthor and expose his lies. While in captivity, Lois overheard that they will be taken Lex to NORAD to hide out. Lois thinks that it's the result of an impending nuclear threat. The video shows that Milton Fine is working with Lex. Clark realizes that because he wasn't there to stop them, Lex and Fine are taking over the world. They devise a plan to stop them by getting the codes for the nuclear launch. Clark puts on a suit and tie and Lois gives him her press pass. Lois then puts the famous dark rimmed glasses on Clark.

At a press conference, Kara and Lex are discussing how while Lex is looking out for the greater good of humanity, Fine is behind the false information of a nuclear attack. Kara reveals a document that proves this. Lex burns it and tells her that Fine is following his orders. Lex pulls the guilt card on her and tells her that he is disappointed in her. Lex reminds her that his father found her ship by the Reeves Dam and protected her. Kara backs down and Fine comes in to take Lex to the press conference and they leave.

Clark confronts Kara and reveals himself to her. They talk about how to stop Lex and Fine. Kara is reluctant and says she is loyal to Lex. Clark tells her that Fine is Brainiac and that he must be stopped. Apparently Kara knows who Brainiac is in this alternate timeline and agrees to help Clark stop Brainiac. They go to Lex and tell him of Brainiac's evil plan. Clark tells Lex that Fine is using him to gain access to the nuclear arsenal. Lex reveals that he knows this and that the world's best and brightest are safe and that he will be their leader. Lex pulls a gun and shoots Clark with kryptonite bullets. He then shoots Kara too. Fine comes in and has Kara transported to medical care with kryptonite handcuffs. He brings in the briefcase and Lex gives the codes for the nuclear launch. Lex leaves for NORAD, and Fine stays to deal with Clark. They talk about how Fine will use Kara's fortress to release General Zod from the Phantom Zone.

Fine shoots Clark in the head, but it reveals that this alternate reality has been put in motion by Jor-El. He tells Clark that he must stop Brainiac and go to Krypton. Clark is then back in the barn with Chloe. He tells her that he must go to Krypton to stop Brainiac.

On Krypton, Brainiac has baby Kal-El and is about to stab him. Kara steps in and tries to stop it. Brainiac throws her and tells her that she can't stop him. Clark shows up and he and Fine struggle. Kara comes up behind him and stabs him with the knife. Clark grabs his babyself and puts him in the ship. Kara deals with Brainiac and the ship with Kal-El takes off. Clark asks about Brainiac and Kara tells him that she destroyed him. Kara and Clark escape through the portal back to Earth.

On Earth, Clark checks on Lana via telephone and she is getting worse. Clark and Kara talk about going back in time again to try and fix things again, they could save their planet. Clark tells her that they can't change the past, they can only affect the future. Kara tells him that no matter what she will be there to support him.

Lex visits Clark in the barn and they talk about Lana Lang and her condition. Lex has had the best doctors check on Lana and they don't have any idea on how to heal her. Clark tells Lex that he doesn't know what can be done. Lex doesn't believe him and tells him to come to him if there is anything he remembers.

At the Daily Planet, Clark is researching ways to help Lana. Lois comes in and questions what he is doing. He tells her and she doesn't know what to say. Lois wants to help Clark, but doesn't know what to say. Clark tells her that she is a good friend, and she invites him to go out for a drink with her.

At the Kent home, Kara is up and goes to get a drink of milk, but starts to have a major headache and falls to the floor in pain.

Smallville Season 7 Episode 17-Sleeper

Overall, I thought this was a boring episode, and that it was aptly titled -Sleeper.  But it did bring to light some good information for the ongoing story plot. Obviously the whereabouts of Kara and Brainiac are huge and what Brainiac's evil plot to destroy Clark Kent is. While this nugget of information is huge and very interesting to find out, the rest of the episode is a foray into the relationship of Jimmy Olsen and Chloe Sullivan. While I find these characters interesting, as long as they don't overstep their bounds for their roles in the series, I don't find their relationship very interesting. It could be that I have a longing for Chloe and Clark to get together in a romantic relationship, which will probably never happen. But I think Jimmy is best relegated to a secondary or tertiary role in the series, as this attempt to have him as a primary role in the episode fell flat, for me anyways. The introduction of Special Agent Vanessa Weber and the introduction of her into the series was well done and I found her character and involvement more interesting than Jimmy Olsen in this episode. Sadly, I doubt we'll be seeing Agent Weber very much if at all in the future. The subplot of Lex Luthor opening the lock box in Zurich was a big deal and what the reveal for what was inside it is a big plot point too. However, this subplot took very little screen time and could've been easily added to any other episode.

FULL REVIEW:

At a club full of beautiful people, we see a masked man in black crawling through the ventilation shaft. He opens the vent and jumps down into a hallway and uses a stun gun on a man with a briefcase. He opens the briefcase and downloads the contents. He leaves and goes into an elevator and removes his black clothing. It is none other than Jimmy Olsen!

The next scene starts off with the title - 14 hours earlier. We then see Jimmy clumsily making breakfast for Chloe Sullivan. Chloe comes into the kitchen and tells him that she can't stay for breakfast. Jimmy is sad, and feels neglected. He questions Chloe if she is feeling anything for their relationship anymore. She indicates that it will take some time, plus she is really busy running Isis for Lana Lang, while she is incapacitated. She tells Jimmy that she will take him to lunch later and leaves for work. Jimmy eats breakfast alone, and we see that someone is spying on him through the window with some high tech gear.

At Isis, Chloe is getting things up and running, Clark comes in and tells her that he didn't get the keys yet and that he spent all night by Lana's side. Chloe tells Clark that he needs to put more effort into getting those keys from Lex or else it won't matter anymore. They discuss the need to find Brainiac so that they can get Lana healed. Clark and Chloe are frustrated over the lack of success. They decide to take a different approach and look at information gained from satellite images. Chloe will try to access this information and Clark will try to get information from Dr. Swan's journals.

Jimmy is hanging out at the Talon, when Special Agent Vanessa Weber begins telling Jimmy that they have been watching him. She accuses him of hacking the mainframe of the NSA. Jimmy doesn't know what she is talking about and Vanessa shows him a picture of Chloe and accuses Chloe of being a terrorist. Vanessa wants Jimmy to spy on Chloe and to tell them if she makes her move. Vanessa gives Jimmy a suitcase full of spy gear. She tells Jimmy that Chloe is not who he thinks she is. Jimmy believes her.

Jimmy goes to Isis and talks to Chloe about how they were supposed to have lunch but she forgot. Chloe blows him off and she runs off to meet with Clark.

Lex Luthor is planning his trip to Zurich and an assistant comes and tells him that there are some complications, the government has red flagged his travel plans. Lex tells him to fix it.

Jimmy comes back to Isis and breaks in and opens the computer lab. He sees that Chloe is trying to hack into the NSA satellites.

At Chloe's apartment, Clark has been reading Swan's journal and tells Chloe that there is a page there that wasn't there before. There is a message that in order for him to save Lana, he needs to take her to the fortress. Chloe tells him that it might be a trick, but Clark is willing to risk it.

Clark goes back to the barn and gets the portal key. Jimmy comes walking in and wants to talk to him. Jimmy hints that he has a friend that is hiding something, Clark surmises it's Chloe and encourages him to trust her.

Clark goes to the Fortress and questions Jor-El about the message to save Lana. He hears a distorted voice and it is Kara trying to communicate with him. She warns him and states that she is on Krypton. Clark is confused.

At Isis, Chloe is trying to hack into the satellites information and comes across information that could help him track down Braniac. She calls Clark and tells him that she has a way to figure out what's going on. The computer starts copying files and Chloe figures out that Jimmy is the one copying the files.

Jimmy meets with Agent Weber and she tells him to go with Chloe to the club and to wear a wire to spy on her. She threatens Jimmy to do it, even though he doesn't want to, or else they will both be facing federal charges.

At the club, Chloe and Jimmy are dressed to impress. Jimmy uses his cell phone to clone the data files from Chloe's phone to his. He distracts her by asking her to dance. They dance like pros and Chloe is impressed. Afterwards, Jimmy grabs his phone and then makes an excuse to go. Chloe then gets into the elevator. She goes to another floor in the building which happens to have a computer lab for the satellites. Jimmy is now dressed in black, crawling through the ventilation shafts as in the beginning of the episode. While Chloe is hacking into the satellite system, Jimmy is tasing the man with the briefcase. Chloe finds the information that will help them locate Brainiac. Jimmy exits the elevator and goes to find Agent Weber. He gives Vanessa the cell phone and it contains false information. It turns out Chloe double crossed Jimmy. Vanessa tells Jimmy that he is going to prison and has him escorted out. Chloe locates the information and sends it to her email address, just as Agent Weber comes in and stops Chloe. Jimmy disables the guard and heads back to where Chloe is. She is being interrogated by Agent Weber, Chloe won't talk and is being beaten for it. Jimmy comes in and distracts Agent Weber, he disables the other guard, but Weber starts beating him up, but he knocks Vanessa out. He unties Chloe and they escape.

Back at the Talon, Jimmy and Chloe begin arguing about trust and how Chloe has been deceiving him. Chloe admits that she lied to him, and tells him to ask her whatever he wants to. Jimmy kisses her and then she kisses him back. Jimmy tells her that the feds won't be coming after them, that he has taken care of it.

In Zurich, Switzerland, Lex arrives at the bank and is handed the lock box. He goes into a room and opens the box using the two keys. There is nothing inside the box. Or so it appears. There is a secret compartment, that Lex finds and he finds the envelope. Inside is a device with wheels that must be configured to reveal the Veritas V. Lex is assaulted from behind, but he disables the assailant who tells him that "You aren't one of them", before being knocked out.

At the Daily Planet, Jimmy visits Lex and asks him for help. Lex has cleared Chloe's name and Jimmy asks what's the catch. Lex says there's no catch, but tells him that when he needs help, he knows Jimmy will be there for him. Jimmy leaves knowing he just made a deal with the devil.

At the barn loft, Clark tells Chloe that Brainiac has taken Kara to Krypton, but that is impossible. Chloe tells Clark that maybe it is true and shows him pictures that were taken by the satellites. Chloe shows Clark how the pictures show a vortex opening and revealing a red star and a planet. They surmise that Kara and Brainiac have time traveled back to the time when Krypton still existed. They realize that Clark has to go back in time to Krypton as well to prevent Brainiac from killing him as a baby and causing him to cease to exist.

In a deleted scene, we see Lex being visited by Special Agent Weber. He reveals that he knows he is being barred from international travel due to her survelliance on the Daily Planet and Chloe Sullivan. He threatens her to fix that ban on Lex's travel or he will reveal her unethical tactics to her supervisor.

In a second deleted scene, we see Chloe get into the elevator at the club. She has a key hidden in her shoe that allows her to access the floor to the satellite computer lab via elevator.