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[TV Review] “The Returned” Episode 1.05: ‘Tony and Adam’

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Returned

This episode of The Returned dialed things back a bit, relying a bit too much on adapting Les Revenants as opposed to deviating more like last week’s episode did. So while I thought this episode was just okay, it did have some good moments. Also, many of the returned’s storylines are beginning to merge with each other, so I’ve adapted my review accordingly.

Tony & Adam

We finally get some backstory on Tony and Adam. Tony, as you may recall, owns the bar where Lucy works. Lucy was stabbed repeatedly in the pilot by Tony’s brother Adam. Adam did the same thing to Julie seven years ago. One the same night Adam attacked Julie, Tony killed him, and now he’s one of the returned. Still with me?

Maybe I’m crazy, but I just wasn’t that involved with Tony’s story. I thought the moment where he confessed his murder to Adam was a nice bit of acting from Aaron Douglas. We also got some cool gore from Adam eating Julie’s stomach in the flashback, but other than that not much more was revealed about the siblings. I think my disinterest might stem from a slight annoyance with the constant “been there, seen that” from the original. Five episodes in and I’m still waiting for more differences. I find the American version kind of hard to review because many of the scenes are photocopies of the original.

Victor & Helen

Helen had the most screen time she’s had all season with this episode. How much do you want to bet that the episode named after her (episode 9) barely features her in it? That seems to be the trend with The Returned. Michelle Forbes did fantastic work (as always) in her scenes with Victor (whose real name we now know is Henry). The reveal that Helen know Henry/Victor and his family back in the 80s is a clever twist, so I’m curious to see where their relationship goes. Their lunch date provided some fascinating insight to Helen’s mindset, as she thinks the town is cursed and that it’s the problem, rather than the newly alive.

Victor is still playing into the standard creepy child trope, and I think it’s starting to get old. Luckily, he did actually speak tonight when he confronted Peter about his part in murdering him and his family. Nikki also receives word from a fellow officer that a boy matching Victor’s description was found by a woman four years prior. This is all well and good, but did anyone else think that cop was a little inappropriate regarding Nikki’s lesbianism or is it just me? Laure’s (Nikki’s French counterpart) sexuality was never an issue on Les Revenants, so I don’t really see why it should be on The Returned, but you know, it’s America.

Returned

Simon & Camille

Meanwhile, Simon gets brought over to Camille’s house to stay after Peter views his presence as too much of a cop magnet (smart move, Peter). This leads to the very interesting pairing of Simon and Camille, two of the returned who both speak and are able to hold a conversation. This was the most fascinating part of the episode for me, as Camille asked Simon how he died and how he feels. I (and the rest of the audience I would imagine) want to see more situations like this. The Returned is not a show that is going to reveal all the answers in the first season, but when we see the characters asking the same questions we are, it becomes more relatable and interesting.

I’m also starting to believe that the returned can’t get drunk, as Camille easily down’s five or six shots in a row with no effect.  Her winning prize is a makeout session with Ben, but her joy is short-lived as her telepathic connection to Lena wakes her up at the hospital. Lena rushes over to the bar and slaps Camille, only to run away and pass out in the woods and be found by Adam. Of all the people for Adam to find passed out in the woods, Lena probably isn’t the best choice. It will be interesting to see if this storyline remains the same as the French version, though.

Random Notes

  • Julie gets one 30-second scene (and that’s being generous) as she goes to look at Lucy’s stab wounds. I hope Sandrine Holt got paid a lot for this episode.
  • The town deer are drowning themselves in the river. It’s appropriately disturbing, especially when we see Helen practically bathing in said river once she sees the deer.
  • Is anyone else wondering how all of these dead people have money to buy food and bus tickets?
  • Rowan throws all of Simon’s things away and stands him up at the bus stop. Smart move Rowan. She also decides that her wedding to Tommy, the man who spied on her and kept the suicide of her ex-fiance from her, is back on. Dumb move, Rowan.
  • I try not to compare The Returned to Les Revenants in my reviews, but I dabbled a little bit in that area with this one. For those of you who have never seen Les Revenants, what did you think of this episode?

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

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‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Review – Latest Monster Mashup Goes Bigger and Sillier

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GODZILLA X KONG review

The heavyweight championship event that was Godzilla vs. Kong ended in a tenuous truce that saw Godzilla holding dominion over Earth while King Kong claimed Hollow Earth. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire introduces a new Titan-sized threat from the depths of Hollow Earth, one so dangerous that Kong and his human allies will need all the help they can get to defeat it. Director Adam Wingard continues the kaiju spectacle with the latest Legendary Monsterverse crossover event, this time injecting an even greater sense of adventure and silliness. It’s the type of epic-sized popcorn movie that unleashes nonstop monster brawls and tongue-in-cheek humor in equal measure.

Since the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla spends his downtime curling up for naptime in Rome’s Colosseum when not snuffing out rogue Titans that emerge. The kaiju king’s activity is closely monitored by Monarch and Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall). Dr. Andrews also keeps a close eye on Kong through stations established around Hollow Earth access points, and poor Kong is lonely as he still searches for others like him. Then there’s Dr. Andrews’ adoptive daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), the sole survivor of the decimated Iwi tribe from Skull Island. Jia’s struggles to find her place in school and society at large get exacerbated by strange new visions that seem directly tied to Hollow Earth.

Dr. Andrews enlists Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry) to help her navigate Jia’s new plight. Once the new threat makes itself known, all three, along with wisecracking kaiju vet Trapper (Dan Stevens), descend into Hollow Earth for answers. Instead, they find a terrifying new battle heating up for kaiju sovereignty. 

Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens in Godzilla x Kong

The Monsterverse franchise often struggles with its human characters and how they fit into the kaiju mayhem, but screenwriters Terry RossioSimon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater may have finally cleared this hurdle by trimming down the human cast and keeping it simple. Jia’s heritage creates an emotional conflict between her and her adoptive mother that injects a sweet earnestness, while Brian Tyree Henry’s Bernie brings levity. Then there’s the scene-chewing Dan Stevens, whose Trapper gets introduced in style as he performs a tooth extraction from an aircraft with infectious exuberance. Stevens plays the character with the bravado of an ’80s action star but one that’s fully aware of himself and the absurdity of his unique gig. Trapper’s boisterous personality goes far in demonstrating to audiences just how much we’re meant to be having fun and not take everything seriously, so much so that Godzilla x Kong could stand to see more of him.

Of course, the real stars are the monsters, and this, once again, is Kong’s show. Godzilla remains the undisputed heavyweight champion, but it’s Kong’s pursuit of finding his place in Hollow Earth that drives Godzilla x Kong. The required exposition delivery as Wingard corrals the converging plotlines into an action-heavy final act does slow the momentum in the first two-thirds, despite frequent action set pieces. But the main event delivers the promised team-up and then some, thanks to at least one pivotal surprise up Wingard’s sleeves that brings the wow factor to the final battle. That key surprise is pivotal, not just for fan service, but to offset how underwhelming the new enemy is, a generic mirrored inverse of Kong and his frenemy. 

Angry Kong

Wingard and crew seem fully aware of that and play up the cartoonish quality of the premise to maximize the fun factor. While it does indeed evoke the intended sense of fun, especially when Kong flings a smaller ape around as a weapon or dons a power glove, there’s a weightlessness to the whole thing. There’s no real impact to any of it, even though it often looks cool.

It all amounts to a visually polished Saturday morning cartoon filled with monster brawls and the humans who love them. Beyond the charming entertainment, though, Godzilla x Kong is more hollow than Hollow Earth.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire roars into theaters and IMAX on March 29, 2024.

2.5 out of 5 skulls

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