It's a pretty general consensus around social media that 2016 is a year best forgotten, but there were still some absolutely glorious moments in geek related media that should be saluted. One of the big surprises this year was how much hype the geek realm reached, as surprise hits like Stranger Things, Luke Cage and Westworld took the airwaves by storm.
If you haven't read my blog before, I try to mix up the different moments selected because I don't want them all to be comedic, or action oriented, or just on deaths. There are great moments from great movies and shows, there are some standout or memorable moments that come from bad or poorly reviewed movies, and there are some movies I saw and omitted from this list altogether (I'm talking about you, Alligiant and Alice Through the Looking Glass!). There are some other movies and shows that I didn't have the chance to see, like The Shanara Chronicles and Shadow Walkers, so this list encompassing everything geek oriented will sadly not be true; I did what I could. In any case, I hope you enjoy the list.
Last year, I did a scoop on the year's best character, and this year, I've opted to pick the best TV episode of the year. There were some good characters who came around, but I've made it a point to do something different each year.
And, in case you haven't read any of my previous blogs covering the best sci-fi-/fantasy/geek highlights of the year:
A spoiler alert is in high affect!!!!!!
Galavant - Tad Cooper is the real deal!
ABC's musical comedy crossed over into the fantasy realm this year, but unfortunately didn't garner the ratings to get it renewed again. Even with this song and dance number:
Off with it, I say!
That song by Kylie Minogue would have made the top spot until I saw the finale. King Richard, a complete boob of a ruler, buys a lizard from a travelling salesman who tells him that the lizard is, in actuality, a dragon. Galavant spends the rest of the season trying to convince Richard that the lizard, whom he lovingly named Tad Cooper, isn't a dragon, but Richard has every faith in the little reptile, even when it looks like he's been killed! After the final episode wraps up, Richard and his lovely new bride, Gwynne, are shown in the last scene adapting to married life, and Gwynne reminds Richard that he needs to feed Tad Cooper. He goes outside leading a fat sheep, and whistles for his pet. All we see then is a big blast of fire, and Richard looking very triumphant. To top it off, he turns to the camera and says, "I have a dragon!" If that isn't the best way to close out a series, I don't know what is.
In another related note, Tad Cooper even earned his own Facebook page!
Marvel's Agent Carter - Whitney Frost becomes the Monster
This show was sadly cancelled this year too, which was a huge blunder because it came out with some amazing villains. This year's big bad, Whitney Frost, was a scientist whose inventions helped the Allies win WWII, but since she's a woman, she didn't get credit and is now an aging actress. She was the one who discovered zero matter, and when she tries to take possession of it, she and Jason are exposed to it in an explosion, and it inhabits her body. Later, she kidnaps Jason from Howard Stark's lab, with only Ana Jarvis to stop her. Ana is was of the luckiest women in the world until that point: she was a Jewish woman that Edwin Jarvis fell in love with, and he went MIA from the British troops to smuggle her into the US, where they married and share VERY passionate kisses. Ana, completely defenseless, runs out to stop Whitney and Ken from taking Jason, and Ken pulls a gun on her. Whitney lowers his gun, telling him "we're not monsters." Ana first tries to convince them that Jason will die if they take him, then tells them that Peggy won't stop searching for them. As Edwin's car is sighted pulling up, Whitney realizes that she needs a diversion. She pulls the gun from Ken and shoots Ana point blank in the abdomen before driving away, which renders her unable to have children. In this moment, Whitney reaches the point of no return and becomes exactly what she said she wasn't: a monster.
The Flash - Zoom phases through Caitlin to save her life
This convoluted and shocking second season threw plot twists left and right, and kept the pace quite nicely. This season introduced Earth 2 in an alternative universe parallel to Barry Allen's Earth, and the evil metahuman Zoom was his big bad from that alternative Earth. Another metahuman from that earth was Caitlin Snow's double, Killer Frost. Both are imprisoned in Zoom's lair as he is in love with Caitlin, and Killer Frost looks like her enough to keep him sated. Actress Danielle Panabaker did a decent job in showing the opposite sides of the spectrum that these Caitlins come from, and in this scene they work together to free themselves and escape together. After being freed, Killer Frost reneges on the deal and tries to kill Caitlin. She forms a spear of ice and flings it toward her, and in a very quick moment, Zoom appears from nowhere, phases completely through Caitlin's body without damaging her, then grabs the ice spear and turns it on Killer Frost. The execution of Zoom's incredible powers is perfectly done, but if you blink at the wrong moment, you can miss the flawlessness of the scene!
Captain America: Civil War - Bucky commandeers a motorcycle
Yeah, you were probably all thinking that I'd pick the Cap's epic bicep curl with the helicopter, but as incredible as that was, I decided to go with another part that didn't get enough notoriety as it deserves. After being chased by that fabulously platinum voiced Black Panther (seriously, Black Panther, just keep talking. *swoon*), who believes that Bucky killed his father, Captain America interferes and allows Bucky the chance for escape. They're in an underground motorway, and Bucky just turns, sees a motorcyclist, stretches out his metal arm, catches the cyclist and knocks him off while the bike does a full 360 midair, landing evenly on its tires as Bucky slides on in one graceful movement and continues his flight. The scene was beautifully choreographed and executed, and deserves a place on this list for its grace and smoothness.
Star Trek: Beyond - Simon Pegg's flair and homage
This is the only exception I'm making here, but I'm picking two scenes from this one. I for one was very nervous about this upcoming film since the other two that came before, while amazing, also felt a little betraying, and with this one featuring a song by Rihanna, my hopes were quite low. After seeing it, I wanted to hug Simon Pegg for finally writing a rebooted Trek film that was able to capture much (but not all) of Gene Roddenberry's vision for the future. The first mention I will give to Pegg's own touch to the film: if you are familiar with the films he writes and directs, he often does a fight or battle sequence with an awesome song in the background. For example, Shaun of the Dead:
Using this same technique, the Enterprise survivors, now running the USS Franklin, learn that the bee-like armada led by Krall has a tight communication network that can be disrupted by a specific musical frequency. Enter Pegg's touch: Jayla found the Beastie Boys song "Sabatoge" in the archives of the ship and Uhura blasts it into the armada's frequencies, causing them to explode into cascading balls of fire. To add the cherry on top, the characters, including Spock, are moving, tapping their feet, or even bobbing their heads to the music. It was a ridiculous concept, especially for any Trek universe, but by Kahless, Pegg and director Justin Lin made it work.
The next scene is the one that still gets its position above the previous entry. Ambassador Spock, played by the legendary Leonard Nimoy, died before the film began shooting, so his death was presented to Commander Spock. At the end of the movie, it's revealed that Nimoy's Spock left Quinto's Spock his personal items. As Spock is going through them, he comes across a holo-image of the Enterprise crew from the Star Trek VI years. True Trekkers were teary as Spock looked upon this image, showing the crew as the family that they were. Thank you, Simon Pegg, for giving us Trekkers the moment we were all waiting for.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - The spy's goodbye
Shows produced by Joss Whedon often have beloved characters killed off without so much as a hint (still not over Wash! *sniffle*). While we sadly lost Andrew and Lincoln, and the not-so-sadly Ward-turned-Hive, the-divorced-now-rekindled Bobbi/Mockingbird and Hunter were teased in the trailers that one would die too, but happily, left the show alive. After a successful failure of stopping an inhuman trying to off a Russian politician, both Bobbi and Hunter are apprehended and refuse to talk when interrogated. Coulson is able to create a diversion to break the two out, but instead, they opt for being disavowed and trying out a normal life outside of S.H.I.E.L.D., much to Coulson's (and our) disappointment. They finish out the episode in a Russian bar, discussing where to go next, when the waitress brings them a shot, then another, until there's 6 total. The S.H.I.E.L.D. team is all there, each with their own shot and having paid for one for their friends' sendoff. They each raise their shot in a toast together, some teary, then leave one by one. The last to take his shot is a teary Mack, showing how much more human he is than the others as he slowly drinks his shot rather than downing it. The scene ends as Hunter and Bobbi share a quiet moment together with their hands locked. It's a perfect farewell that hits the heart in all the right places, and still leaves the possibility open that we'll see these two again.
DC's Legends of Tomorrow - Captain Cold lives long enough to become the hero
The ragtag bunch of special skills people that Rip Hunter assembles to take down uber-villain Vandal Savage includes Leonard Snart, better known as Captain Cold. Throughout this first season and guest appearances on The Flash, Snart has remained chaotic neutral, looking out only for himself and having no problem letting his hands get dirty when the deed needs to be done. After Rip learns the Time Masters can alter and manipulate history through their use of the Oculous, he and the team have no problem agreeing that it needs to be destroyed. Rip witnessed during his contact with the Oculous that Ray dies while shutting it down. As the sabotage is nearly complete, the fail safe device pops out and Ray has to keep contact with it to keep the Oculous from blowing right away. He's ready to accept his fate, but Mick/Heatwave, Snart's fire-gun-toting partner and best buddy, would rather go out taking the Time Masters with him since they turned him into Cronos; and also has a special regard for Ray, who had taken torture over Mick earlier in the season. He knocks Ray out and puts pressure on the fail safe, and Rip shrinks Ray and they run back to the Wave Rider. When Snart asks where Mick is, Rip tells him, and he and Sarah run back to the Oculous. Snart knocks Mick out and takes his place at the fail safe. He tells Sarah to take Mick and go, and she plants a solid kiss on him before she does. As Druse and the Time Masters swarm Snart just as the Wave Rider is leaving, Snart, with his trademark sleazy tone, looks right at them and says, "there are no strings on me," just as he releases the fail safe and blows the Time Masters and their base to kingdom come. Despite all his prior actions having been preset by the Time Masters, Snart defies them all becomes the one thing he never wanted to be: a hero.
Warcraft - Lothar is bestowed honor
This film may not have done well in the US, but WOW players were both frustrated by the altered lore and completely gaga over the beautiful scenery that looked like it was plucked straight out of the game. After the battle between the orcs and the humans ends in defeat for the human, including the loss of their king, Lothar is captured and given a chance to win his freedom in single combat. His sword is returned to him and he meets his rival, Blackhand, with chanting orcs all around. In barefoot John McClain meets Indiana Jones style, the two charge, and he easily slides underneath the massive warrior with his sword raised, slicing the orc straight through the abdomen and groin (ouchie!), before rising to his feet and finishing him off. The fight lasts LESS that 20 seconds. The orcs, honoring tradition and allowing Lothar to leave with the body of his king, stand up against Gul'Dan who insists they kill Lothar anyways, despite his winning his freedom. Up to this point, the orcs have followed the evil Gul'Dan, and now show the promise in the honor their race has by allowing Lothar to leave. This action proves to non-WOW players that the orcs, though enemies of the humans, are not the bad guys.
Supergirl - Lena Luther's power play
The second season introduced Lena Luther as a recurring guest, trying to maker LCorp a legitimate company now that her adopted brother Lex has been put away. Later, it is revealed that the evil Lillian, Lex's mother and Lena's adopted mother, is the head of Cadmus, an anti-alien organization playing the big bad against Kara. In this episode, a strain of alien killing virus called "Medusa" is going to be released by Lillian into the atmosphere that will kill all aliens except for Kryptonians, and the only way to release the virus is to use a component manufactured by LCorp. Supergirl goes to Lena and reveals who her adopted mother is, but Lena, despite her tenuous relationship with Lillian, tells Supergirl to leave. Then Lillian shows up and Lena is ready for her, and gives her the component she needs to launch the missile without asking anything in return. When it's launched, Supergirl tries to stop it, but Lillian explodes it with her near, diverting Supergirl from succeeding. The virus spreads throughout the atmosphere, and aliens all over National City watch in awe, but nothing happens. When Lillian sees no one is dying, she realizes that Lena hijacked the virus, making it ineffective. Lena, with a smug smirk, admits to the tampering, and that she called the police. Well done, Lena Luther, pulling the wool over everyone's eyes!
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - I believe these are your flies...
The book (although I've not read it yet), has been described to me as ridiculous, and this movie version is nuts. It is in no way, shape or form a good film, but it doesn't take itself seriously and does provide some decent action sequences. And Lena Headey. The moment that sticks out most is when Mr. Darcy wants to test Jane to see if her illness is being caused by a zombie bite. Being one of the top zombie slayers in England, his main method is by releasing special flies that only stop buzzing and flying when they land on decaying flesh, whether the person is dead or in the process of becoming undead. He releases them in Jane's room, and Lizzy is on to what he's trying to do. Without her eyes leaving the doctor as he treats Jane, she catches each of one Darcy's flies between TWO fingers only, and palms them until all are caught. After Darcy is satisfied that Jane is uncontaminated, he takes his leave, but not before Lizzy returns the flies to him. And crushes them in her hand before letting them drop into his palm. Somehow I believe Jane Austen would have approved of this action.
Game of Thrones - the fan theory is halfway confirmed
GoT had a plethora of moments that could have made this list, but being a fan of the books rather than the show, I decided to chose the moment that has had readers buzzing for years. It has long been an established rumor that Jon Snow is not really Ned Stark's bastard; the most popular theory is that Jon is the son of Lyanna Stark, Ned's deceased little sister, and Rhaegar Targaryan, eldest son to the mad king Aegon, who was overthrown by Robert Baratheon and Jaime Lannister. The support for this theory, drawn straight from the books, has been unconfirmed, long before the show began.
This video is one of the most basic, yet thorough, theories explained about Jon being the son of Lyanna and Rhaegar. If you have the chance, there are more in depth videos that go into the love story of the two, which is just as compelling. This year, Bran Stark is able to see back into time to the night where Ned is "rescuing" his sister from the Tower of Joy, where the recently slain Rhaegar is keeping her. Ned arrives to find her with covered in blood, and in a touching reunion scene, she repeats to him those dying words echoing through ASOIAF readers for years: "promise me, Ned." And a baby is laid in Ned's arms. The camera focuses on the baby for a few seconds, and then cuts to a face shot of the present Jon Snow. Theorists went wild with this moment, having foreseen that Jon is Ned's nephew after all. Though it's still yet to be confirmed that Rhaegar is the father, the half of the theory where Lyanna is his mother was a huge revelation echoing through the geek world.
Arrow - the most stylish way to escape from a bee
As someone who suffers from an allergy to bee stings, I can tell you that running from bees is not always a laughing matter. But Good Lord, Arrow certainly does the trick. In the episode "Beacon of Hope," robotic bees, controlled by a psychopath, are in the process of being hacked and reprogrammed by Curtis and Quentin. All of the sudden, the one bee in their lab comes to life, and the two dudes scatter. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, Curtis does a gymnastic move to side-flip over the computer desk and onto the lower level of the lab. It takes all of 2 seconds, and it is random, out of context, and ridiculously funny. Curtis has mentioned in a previous episode that he was an Olympic decathlete, and this moment goes to show that anywhere is an appropriate time to show those skills. For a show that's been known for being grittier, this moment, brief as it may be, shines to show that humor can be interjected in the most ludicrous way possible.
The Walking Dead - Lucille finishes off the season
Fans of both the comic books and the TV series have been waiting for Negan to appear with his trust barbed-wire bat, Lucille. With Rick's gang rounded up, bound and on their knees, Negan draws out a long speech on how he's going to take one of them out. The scene may last for almost 13 whole minutes, but doesn't seem to drag as the tension thickens. Then, Negan takes his shot, and the perspective flips to first-person. Whoever his victim is gets hit in the head with Lucille, crashes to the ground, and has blurred vision and blood streaking into their sight. Then Negan takes another shot, everything goes black, and you hear a thud. And that's the end of the season. There was such an outcry over this cliffhanger that the show's creator had to issue an apology!
Deadpool - what's in a name?
Oh, Deadpool. Where do we begin? This movie had so many awesome moments I could compile a list on its own. Our favorite merc with a mouth spends the film tracking down Ajax, real name Francis, for suckering him into the painful and disfiguring procedure that also gave him his superpowers. Ajax was particularly sadistic in demanding his subjects call him by his name throughout the film. At the beginning of the final showdown, Ajax stands above Deadpool and his comrades, and asks him, "what's my name?" Deadpool says, "I'm gonna [censored] spell it out for ya." Cut through all the action, and Ajax takes a look down to see what damage has been done, and Deadpool has arranged the bodies of Ajax's henchmen in Ajax's true name: FRANCIS. If Ajax wasn't about to die, this would probably be a moment that would be with him for the rest of his life.
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride - Hell hath no fury....
Fans of Sherlock are some of the most long-suffering out there, never knowing when their next season will finally be bestowed upon them. This special, aired outside of a normal season, focused on Sherlock envisioning a Victorian Era mystery to try to solve the question of what happened to Moriarty after his apparent suicide. The mystery he focuses on starts off with a woman in a bridal gown, wielding a pistol in each hand, shooting at random men from her bedroom balcony. With a crazed look in her eyes, she just makes random eye contact with men that pass and yells, "YOU!" before she aims and fires. No one is injured, but when the police arrive, she sticks one of the pistols in her mouth and fires, thus ending her quick reign of terror. Though brief, her moment of insanity shoves the plot into overdrive, making the viewers wonder what made that bride go cuckoo. BBC has kept a tight lid on clips from this show, but you can catch snippets of this moment in this Crack video.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Dr. Scott can resist no longer
This remake was heavily antici-
-pated by fans of both the film and theatrical versions. However, the TV movie, aired on the FOX network, fell flat for most fans, but did have some redeeming qualities. One was the character of Columbia, played by Annaleigh Ashford, and Dr. Scott, who, though played by the marvelous Ben Vereen, didn't seem to feel right for this project (he was still amazing, though). Vereen still stole the show when Dr. Scott, unfrozen by Dr. Frankenfurter's freeze ray, hears the music coming from the floor show and trying to maintain his faculties so he can escape, but the urge to embrace his inner transvestite is pretty strong. When he can no longer resist it, the wheelchair-confined doc flings his blanket aside and stretches out his legs, now covered in spider-web-fishnet stockings and high platform heels. Cackling, he stretches those fabulous legs out, and just lets himself go with the mood. Thanks, Mr. Vereen. We needed that!
Batman vs. Superman: The Dawn of Justice - the one element fans were diverted from
For nearly 3 years, fans of the DC Universe have been on edge about this film, which sadly failed to satisfy everyone, but the filmmakers pulled a good diversion in the publicity of the film. While everyone was hyping up the cast, the introduction of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, and the Superman/Doomsday battle, just about everyone forgot about another element that the DC Universe put a lot of emphasis on: The Batmobile. This version of the high-powered vehicle, which is sleeker than the one from Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and less campy than the versions from the Tim Burton/Joel Schumaker universe, is introduced with a fiery engine rev, and bursts out of a building to chase Lex Luther's goons. The ensuing action includes cabling a car behind him just in case, taking massive firepower from the men he's chasing, driving through a brick building wall to cut them off as he crashes through an upper level, smashing through more cars and even a grounded ship as it crumples atop him. Then Batman lets the firepower loose, freeing himself from the wreckage, and chases down the baddies once more before the iconic car is finally incapacitated after it slams right into Superman. The filmmakers deserve applause for that sudden reminder of what geeks almost forgot about, and delivering a memorable scene to make everyone appreciate it more.
Once Upon a Time - the show calls itself out on its convoluted stories
This show used to be fun, now it's just too convoluted for me to follow regularly. That being said, it appears that even the show's writers are beginning to agree. After Hook's death in the midseason finale last December, the new year started with Emma and company taking a journey into the Underworld to confront Hades and bring Hook back to the land of the living. In order to gain an audience with Hades, they need the aura of someone already dead to open the way to Hades. Rumpelstiltskin's ex-wife, Milah (whom he killed), is in the Underworld, and he thinks he can convince her to help. The thing is, Milah left Rumple and their son, Baelfire/Neil, for Hook. And now comes Emma, who is not only Hook's current love, but was also Neil's true love when he was still alive, and the two had Henry as their son. In one of the most awkward scenes of this year (not just in the geek realm), Milah points out to Emma that she has basically had affairs with both Milah's son and her lover. The look on Emma's face clearly shows that there's really no right way to respond to Milah's observation. This scene makes this year's list because it's not just the characters that sell this moment, but also the writers, who finally take the time to agree with the viewers that their own story lines can be rather ridiculous, and call it out for one glorious moment.
Stranger Things - Will's one word message to Joyce
This Netflix show was one of the biggest surprise hits this year and offered an opening season that kept everyone intrigued and taking days off to binge-watch. In the series' opener, young Will is kidnapped by the demi-gorgon, but finds a way to communicate with his mom, Joyce, from his prison in the "upside down." Joyce learns that Will can control lights to answer her questions, so she paints the alphabet on her wall and sets up Christmas lights over the corresponding letter so that Will can communicate with her more clearly. First she asks him where he is, and he responds by the lights with "right here." She doesn't understand and asks a hundred questions, mostly focusing on what she should do next. Then the light blink again, spelling out one word: RUN. She asks again what that means, and every single light in her house starting flickering frenetically, indicating that Will is desperately trying to get through to her. Then, from behind, in a sequence paying homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street, the demi-gorgon slowly takes form from her wall and starts to emerge into her living room. She turns around just in time to see the creature and do exactly what Will told her to. In a series that thrives on plot twists and jump sequences, this one makes the list with its intensity, use of lighting, and the typical timing of horror movie damsels!
X-Men: Apocalypse - Jean's act of kindness
The X-Men movies just wouldn't be right without Wolverine popping up somewhere. As Beast, Quicksilver, Mistique and Moira are being held by the evil Col. Stryker, Jean Grey is able to mask herself, Nightcrawler and Cyclops into the compound so they can free their friends. When they're discovered, they lock themselves in a room where Jean's telepathic powers indicate that someone's being held in the large box nearby who has been turned into a weapon. When the doors to the room open, she masks everyone's bodies again, and uses telekinesis to open the box. Wolverine, still attached to some ominous tech, is unleashed on everyone in his way, all of whom he brutally slashes to death while he escapes. Jean's group follows just as Wolverine is about to bust out. He looks ready to attack, but Jean reaches out to him telepathically and tells him she can help. As his claws slowly retract, she carefully removes the headgear, then places her hands on his face, offering him back a piece of his life that had previously been lost that she was able to find. The impact is so powerful that his blood lust is sated, and he is able to remove the rest of the tech himself. Then he turns and runs. Though he never thanked her, this scene makes the list by tapping into the power of compassion and kindness, and explaining how deeply Wolverine's love develops for her when he meets her again in the future.
Kudos also go to the costume designer, who had Nightcrawler wearing a jacket similar to Michael Jackson's in Thriller, and having Quicksilver wearing a RUSH tee as he's speeding along (nice use of classic rock as a visual pun there!).
Ghostbusters - Holtzmann dual-wields to the theme
Honestly, Ghostbusters didn't need to be remade or rebooted; it was fine on its own. This update, while well cast and very funny and clever, really should have been released as a sequel instead of its trailers making it look like the weak rendition of its classic namesake that it turned out to be. Still, it was enjoyable, and the moment from this movie that makes this list would be when Holtzmann clears the streets of ghosts. All four of our heroines are kicking booty, each with an upgraded weapons of their own that they tested earlier, except for Holtzmann, who designs the weapons and gear they use. As ectoplasmic apparitions charge her, she comments on how she forgot about "her new toys," and draws two handheld versions of the weapons the ladies use, gives one a slick lick, and mutters, "let's rock," as she strides forward to meet her supernatural foes. The updated Ghostbusters theme song is used, instrumental track only, as she takes down each ghost one by one, using her weapons to shoot like a gun, or snap the streams like a whip. She takes down the ringleader last, then retracts the smaller guns into her gear before belting, "you just got Holtzmanned, baby!" Kate McKinnon nails this scene above all her others and pairs perfectly with the theme song to provide one of the best scenes this film had to offer.
Daredevil - the Punisher survives, but is still beaten
The Punisher was added to the second season of Daredevil, adding another dark character to this already dark MCU show. After carrying out his vengeance on those who killed his family and refusing to take a deal for a shorter prison sentence, Frank Castle is sentenced to prison for the long haul. The scene take makes the list this year is where Frank is in a narrow hallway on the prison, and the other prisoners are closing in on him. Frank meets each man as they come at him, commandeering their makeshift weapons, ranging from slivers of wood, stakes, razor blades and an axe, turning each weapon on them. The fight itself has a claustrophobic feel as the bodies begin to stack up and there's still more coming at Frank. Another element that sticks out is the choreography, as it sticks to military hand-to-hand combat (which The Punisher has), adding a sense of realism to this already frantic and claustrophobic scene. Of course, Frank survives the carnage, and doesn't engage when the police are sent in to retrieve him; he stands there, panting in both physical and emotional exhaustion. After all that's happened, he just doesn't have it in him to keep fighting. His stand against the police as they throw tear gas at him shows just how tired he is of this life. The final portion of this sequence, showing Frank being dragged away by the police, has a drop of his blood tainting his reflection in a puddle, is almost allegorical what his life has become: permanently blood-stained.
10 Cloverfield Lane - getting out was the easy part
The tension in this movie is so thick that it keeps the viewer from keeping track of the time and staying invested in the story. The resourceful Michelle has made her own haz-mat suit and plans to leave the compound where she has now been confirmed to be a hostage there, held by the creepy Howard (a brilliant performance by John Goodman). Howard finds the suit and Michelle leaps into action, using everything she can get her hands on to escape and to keep Howard from catching her. After a harrowing experience, she manages to get outside, fully protected in her suit, and runs for the truck. She's searching for the keys when she hears birds flying overhead. Seeing that the air is safe, she removed her headgear and breathes normally, and the audience is briefly lulled into believing that Michelle is safe. Then she stands atop the truck and sees an aircraft hovering nearby. It's too far to see what it is, but then the bunker she just escaped from explodes, sending flames high into the air. The aircraft is now coming closer, and it's clearly not something of the earth. In this moment, which makes the list, the viewers now see that Michelle is out of the frying pan and in the fire. With a perfect response of, "oh, come on!" the movie changes gears and goes into overdrive as Michelle now has another enemy to overcome: aliens!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows - Mikey meets Bumblebee
The heroes in the half-shell are back, this time dealing with a story line of the possibility of becoming human instead of having to hide themselves from society. Mikey is the one in particular who dreams of being human, like Disney princess Ariel or Lt. Cmd. Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. After barely escaping from being discovered at a basketball games, the turtles escape through the sewers to find that there is a Halloween parade going on above them. Mikey stays behind, and in a particularly well done scene, emerges above ground to experience the real world. There is a very definite sense of childlike wonder as he watches the costumed people mill about him, either celebrating or participating in the parade. Then, a small yellow car drives around to him, and it turns out it's yet another costume: some guy has dressed up as Bumblebee from Transformers! The guy dressed as Bumblebee complements Mikey on his costume and gives him a high five before "transforming" back down into a car, giving Mikey an experience he will never forget. Even though Mikey's character is at his best in this scene, it's also the fact that two characters from some of the most popular 80s and 90s cartoons finally met in person. 80s babies rejoice!
Westworld - it doesn't look like anything to Bernard
In a series that expands on the universe that was created in the 1973 film starring Yul Brynner, Westworld delves deeper into the lives of those who run the show, those who play, and those who are meant to interact. The latter, called Hosts, are androids meant to operate and react realistically to the humans as they participate in a simulated world of the old west. Hosts are programmed to not harm anybody and are almost identical to humans, but can be revealed if they say the phrase: "it doesn't look like anything to me." Bernard, who has been working behind the scenes all this time, is exploring the work area with Terri when she comes across a door he doesn't recognize. When they go inside, she finds the blueprints for several hosts, one of which gives her pause. Bernard recognizes that something is wrong, and she asks him if he's seen these blueprints before, bringing them to him and asking what he thinks. The camera switches to the print in her hand, and it's one for a host that looks exactly like Bernard. He takes a look at it, and says "it doesn't look like anything to me." Just like that, the series takes a completely different stance: Bernard is a host that can create and control other hosts.
Independence Day: Resurgence - aliens should never mess with warlords
We waited 20 years for this??????
It's been 20 years since this blockbuster hit took the theaters by storm, and while the action was done well, the story was nowhere near as interesting as its predecessor (although it's interesting that Judd Hirsch barely aged since the last one!). The one scene that stood out took place during the interrogation scene, where Whitmore puts himself in a room with one of the captured aliens so that they can communicate through him and find out what the intent is for this much bigger invasion. They're able to extract some good intelligence, but the alien ultimately goes for the breakout opportunity. The newly introduced warlord, Umbutu, dealt with aliens from the previous invasion on the ground and came up with an effective strategy in taking them out quickly. While the alien is occupied, he slides behind it, removes two swords from his back, and stabs the alien right in the back, and it goes down hard and fast. He dispatches this being without even breaking a sweat, pointing out that after all this time, the aliens' weak spot is in their backs. While not that great of a revelation, the demonstration was cool enough to make the list. Of course, 20th Century Fox has to keep a tight lid on good scenes like this, so please check out the trailer instead.
The Huntsman: Winter's War - was Snow White really the first?
Yes, this was a movie that didn't need to be made, but it did offer one very brief moment that definitely added depth to a much beloved story and an interesting angle to the geek world. Everyone knows that Snow White's evil stepmother wanted to kill her because she was more beautiful than her. But what if it hadn't started with Snow White? In the big reveal of this silly film, Ravenna, who has merged with the magic mirror and is now bound to answer whatever question is asked her, is asked by her sister, Freya, what really happened the night that Freya's fiance, the Duke of Blackwood, killed their baby. Ravenna had posed the dreaded question to the mirror, who revealed that her sister's child would be more beautiful than her. So after the baby was born, Ravenna went to Blackwood's room and influenced him to kill the baby himself. It's a moment that shows the brutality and true evil of Ravenna, and how she literally stopped at nothing to keep anyone from being more beautiful than she.
And filmmakers, please take note of this: if someone is sliding down a slope with an axe and trying to use it to stop, you're supposed to grip the head of the axe instead of the handle!!!!!!! Take a mountaineering class already!!!!!
That's been bugging me for years. Carry on.
Doctor Strange - the astral fight
The latest superhero introduced into the MCU has the ability to use magic, and separate his ethereal self from his physical form. While this particular film has gravity and physics defying techniques that would make Christopher Nolan proud, it was also what he pioneered in the film Inception, which is why I chose the astral fight instead. Stephen has been impaled with a nasty weapon, and he creates a portal to his hold hospital, where he runs straight to his ex, Christine, for her her in repairing the damage. He passes out while she works, and he separates his astral self during that time to assist her. However, the baddie that's been incapacitated by Stephen's Cloak of Levitation pulls the same astral trick and travels through the same portal left open and goes to attack Stephen. Though the two are invisible to the physical world and Christine, who is still working on Stephen's wounds, they battle in a zero gravity vortex, but the force of their actions causes electricity to short out, vending machines to drop extra goodies, and even knock over a few items in the operating room. Christine holds strong during the altercation that she can't see, but soon Stephen's heart gives out. She uses the defibrillator on him, which winds up giving Stephen's spirit self a jolt of energy that incapacitates his foe. Though his heart is now beating, he instructs Christine to zap him again. She does, and he receives a bigger jolt of energy; one that obliterates the baddie's spirit, killing him in his corporeal form as well. The clip is currently unavailable, so please check this promo that does feature a very brief second from this scene.
Luke Cage - Luke crashes Netflix!
I unfortunately wasn't able to watch any of this show, but it was still able to make the list simply because it did something that no other show in the history of Netflix has done: it crashed Netflix altogether! According to Moviefone, so many people logged into Netflix to watch this highly anticipated show that Netflix went down for several hours. When the site was back up, our hero was all over the airwaves. Since I was sadly unable to see any of this show myself, please enjoy the official trailer.
Arrival - oh gravity, thou art inexplicable!
This intelligent, Contact-esqe sci-fi about learning to communicate with aliens featured moments that were more for deep thinkers rather than for action-oriented viewers. One of the best scenes that stood out was when Louise and Ian are being led into the "Shell," as the military calls the alien ships, to attempt first contact with these yet unnamed aliens (later called Heptapods). The team is set on a riser, and lifted into a small chute that has been opened for the humans. Once the lift reaches its limit, one of the soldiers cracks a glow stick and throws it upward; only it doesn't come back down. The glow stick hits the side of the wall and rolls upward. As it turns out, gravity inside the ship works differently than it does on earth, and the soldiers, who have done this before, jump up, allowing the gravity to pull them upwards before they turn and set their feet on the sideways walls from Louise's perspective. With the help of the remaining soldier, Louise is able to jump into the new gravity, and now sets her feet on solid wall, now the ground. When she looks down/behind to see that the lift and the people milling below are carrying about as normal, she continues her way to meet the aliens. It's a great scene to open up to the audience how different this aliens species is in regards to gravity, and a good teaser for the other surprises that are to come. This clip is not yet available, so please enjoy the trailer.
Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children - the day resets
From the wacky mind of Tim Burton came this film about hiding children with special capabilities (like the X-Men) from the monsters who kill them to prolong their lives by maintaining a time loop in which a single day from history starts over and prevents the kids from aging. It's complicated. Anywho, the scene that depicts how the day resets was excellently done, which is why it makes the list this year. Miss Peregrin, who has the abilities to reset the day, has selected to reset September 3, 1943, which is the day the children's home was destroyed by a Nazi bomb. Miss Peregrin leads all the children outside, including protagonist Jake, who is from the real world, and has them all put on gas masks as German planes fly overhead. Setting up a phonograph to play the song "Run, Rabbit, Run," she watches her pocket watch as the rain comes down and the Nazi bomb is dropped. Right before the bomb hits the house, Miss Peregrin suddenly stops the hands of her pocket watch, and the raindrops and bomb freeze midair; the latter hovering just a few feet above the roof. Then, with a flick of her fingers, time moves backwards and completely resets to 24 hours prior, giving herself and the children the same day to live over again. In this tough-to-make-sense film, the moment stands out as the most memorable. The clip is unavailable at this time, so check out the official trailer.
Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio - the only show this entire year to make mention of Pokemon Go
The Doctor Who Christmas special was exciting and charming as it finally tackled the inevitable story that it hadn't yet: superheroes (the one who appeared in the Troughton era episode, The Mind Robber, doesn't count). The superhero that The Doctor inadvertently created, Grant aka The Ghost, is being interviewed and simultaneously babysitting for the reporter he's with, and The Doctor is covering for him trying to fend off the current conquering aliens at Harmony Shoals. He and Nardole take the Tardis to the Tokyo location, and when they arrive, all the employees are rushing toward something, but hardly look frightened; but rather excited. When Nardole asks about this, The Doctor responds with, "I filled the roof with Pokemon." At the time this special was written and filmed, the app that took the world by storm this year, Pokemon Go, was still at a high point in its popularity. It was only appropriate that The Doctor use it himself at least once. This clip is not yet available, but please check out the trailer for this Christmas special.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - the very appropriate kiss in the rain
What can I say, I'm a sucker at heart and I have to put at least one of these on this list every year. Jacob Kowalski (played by the highly underrated Dan Fogler) is a muggle, or "no-maj" as the American wizards call him, and he's seen way too much of the wizarding world but is constantly being put off in having his brain obliviated. After Gellert Grindelwald is apprehended, the wizards need to repair the massive damage done to the city, including using the obliviate spell to wipe the memories of all the witnesses. Through Newt and Frank, an elixir that can do the trick is released into the atmosphere and falls on the New York citizens in the form of rain. Jacob, who understands he can't be exempt from this, says his goodbyes and walks out into the rain, allowing the spell to take effect. Queenie, who took quite a fancy to him, very slowly walks to him and kisses him very soundly to the point that he stays puckered up even after she steps away from him. Then, as he slowly opens his eyes, she's gone, and he's completely bewildered at why he is where he is. For the most part, rainy kisses are sappy and almost cliche, but Fantastic Beasts managed to find a way to make it appropriate with the right amount of magic.
On another relate note, this is the second time that Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp have played different versions on the same character in the same movie (the first was The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus).
Supernatural - Castiel and Crowley team up?!?!
Throughout 12 seasons, Castiel the angel and Crowley the demon have been at each other's throats, with occasional deals or minor assists here and there. Now, with Lucifer on the run and inhabiting Rick Springfield's body, they now have a common goal: bring down the prince of Darkness. Of course, it's Crowley who brings the logic to the idea that they team up in this endeavor, but Cass sees the wisdom of his proposal and they start out by interviewing Wendy, the sister of the man that Lucifer is currently embodying: aging hair rocker Vince Vincente (Springfield). For the first time during the run of the series, these two are able to interact and work together in finding out where Vince. Cass keeps Crowley from carrying out his threats, and Crowley backs up Cass when he tells Wendy they only want to help Vince. Seeing these two able to cooperate, and adopt the monikers of Agents Beyonce and Z, was a highly satisfying scene, and was the start of what's looking to become a beautiful friendship.
Red Dwarf - Cat gives birth to a pineapple (yes, you read that right!)
You may or may not have heard of this one, but Red Dwarf has been around since 1988 and just finished its 11th series. This BBC show only does new episodes every few years, and this most recent season did a decent job with 4 good episodes and 2 that were okay, despite many of the episodes hearkening back to previous series' ideas and plots. In the final episode, the felinesapin, Cat (he's evolved from a cat instead of an ape), has been impregnated by a Polymorph, creatures that can take on any shape they like and feed off of emotions. As Cat does a water birthing, Lister and Kryten are catching those Polymorphs and confining them before they can get away and wreak havok on the ship. Since they're newborns, they don't know what natural shapes to take right away. So Cat winds up birthing wind-up chattering teeth, a stuffed giraffe, a pineapple, a toy boat, and a large red balloon. There are eight offspring total, but the five that are shown constantly change their shape after they are confined. Though this episode was a bit of a disappointment for a season finale, the idea that Cat gave birth to a pineapple was too good to pass up! The clip is unavailable, but here's a preview of stills from the episode to check out.
Suicide Squad - Harley breaks Enchantress' heart
A fun, no-brainer of a film with plot holes all over the place, this action packed movie delivered on its characters, particularly with Harley Quinn. After having taken down her brother, Enchantress needs to switch to new tactics to turn the Suicide Squad to her side. With her seemingly omnipotent powers, she offers Deadshot, Harley, and Rick a glimpse at their ideal lives, trying to tempt them with such an offering. All three are shaken back to reality, but Harley, having witnessed The Joker go down in a fiery helicopter crash, is heartbroken and wants him back. In her typical chaotic neutral alignment, she approaches Enchantress, asking if she can restore "[her] puddin'" back to life, which Enchantress tells her she can. She kneels as she tells Enchantress, "I like what you're sellin', lady," but instead she reaches for Katana's disarmed soul-stealing blade, and with a precise swipe, cuts open Enchantress' chest and yanks out her heart, her one weakness. Without her heart, Enchantress is reduced to an injured demi-goddess, and the rest of the Squad is now open for business and take down Enchantress and her world-destroying spell. Score one for the psychiatrist!
Rogue One - the plans make it into the right hands
A lot of Star Wars fans were wondering at why this movie was made because the trailers were so vague; it just looked like a semi-prequel with potential. The story wound up being about how the plans to the Death Star were stolen, and the final five minutes of this film demonstrate just what sacrifices were made to ensure those plans made it to Princess Leia. The rebel ground forces ensured the plans made it to the rebel fleet at the cost of their lives, and one rebel on board a ship being attacked is handed the disk with the plans. As he tries to bring the plans to the right people, the door blows open, and Vader steps through, taking out each fighter in his way by means of his red light saber or by his force powers. The man beats on the partly ajar door, begging for it to open as Vader comes closer, then finally sticks his hand through the door's opening, passing it through to the next man just as Vader's light saber cuts through him. The next fighter dodges other men in his path as he closes the blast doors behind him, then ejects the vessel from its larger parent, and the ship goes into light speed. These final few minutes go to show how high the price was to deal that fatal blow to the Death Star. I found a clip that recreated this scene in Legos so I couldn't resist. :)
Assassin's Creed - forget the blades, we're going for the burn!
The actions sequences sadly weren't enough to save this film. There were some good moments, but for the most part, the characters were boring or their importance wasn't explained or obvious to the viewers (and Brendan Gleeson didn't get enough screen time). Still, it did have a great moment for this year, and it was found not in the action, but in the dialogue. After having successfully located the Apple of Eden which seeds can be used to control free will, bad guy Rikkin is about to reveal it to the Templars and take all the credit that his daughter, Sofia, did the brunt work of. She even penned out his speech for the night. As Rikkin tells her of all the glory he's going to get from her work, he then asks her how he should open up his speech. Without hesitation, she tells him right to his face: "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."
Quoting from J. Robert Oppenheimer of the Manhattan Project and the Bhagavad-Gita, she unloads the greatest burn felt all year. This clip is not yet available, but please enjoy the trailer.
Best Moment from a non-geek source: Fuller House - Fernando challenges Matt
Some might argue that Fuller House could fall under the geek category since it deals with 80s and 90s-era nostalgia, but I disagree. Nonetheless, it still had a moment that was just too darn awesome to pass up and not give a mention to on this list. Kimmy starts to choke on a mini corn dog, and DJ's potential beau, Matt, gives Kimmy the Heimlich maneuver. Grateful he saved her life, Kimmy gives Matt a big hug just as her soon-to-be-ex-husband Fernando comes in. Instantly jumping to the conclusion that Matt is trying to steal Kimmy, Fernando reaches for a yellow dish washing glove and slaps Matt right across the face with it. The timing and delivery on this scene is what sells it; and let's face it, when is a glove slap in TV or film not funny?
Honorable mention #1: The Ballad of Aida - Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
There were several shows and films that featured musical numbers; some were big and Broadway-esque, others were low-key but just as effective. Since I hadn't picked a musical piece for the year, I decided to go with Radcliffe singing about Aida. Aida is the life-model decoy he created and in this particular episode, she saved the day by bringing Fitz and Coulson safely back to the right reality. Radcliffe, obviously drunk, is strumming a guitar and wearing sunglasses as he sings about his achievements in creating Aida. It does get a little distorted with the ominous music that starts playing, but actor John Hannah sells this song like nobody's business.
Honorable mention #2: Kevin's credit dancing - Ghostbusters
As I stated with the previous moment, I hadn't picked a dance sequence for this year either. And there's no contest with this one: Chris Hemsworth takes the gold with his Bowan-possessed dancing and controlling of the police forces. The dancing isn't that great or impressive, but Hemsworth is clearly having a blast in this scene, and that's enough to sell the ridiculousness of it. Well done, Thor!
And now, for the full enchilada:
Best TV Episode of the year goes to: DC's Legends of Tomorrow - Abominations (Season 2, Episode 5)
The first season was a bit rocky, but thus far, "Abominations" was the best geek episode to grace TV. Not only is the acting better than normal (with the exception of Victor Garber, who is good in just about anything he does), but the episode tackles many subjects and somehow make it all work. Here are the three main story lines that are followed:
Story arc 1: a "time pirate" infected with a virus crash lands in Mississippi, 1863, among the Confederate army. His virus spreads to the Confederate army, creating an army of zombie rebels. The gang runs into Henry Scott, who is a freeman spying for the U.S. army, but he is killed when the fighting breaks out, and Mick is bitten by a zombie. Sarah and Nate then join up with Ulysses S. Grant to ward off the oncoming zombie attack.
Story arc 2: Ray, having had his Atom suit destroyed in the previous episode, is feeling down in the dumps since he felt his heroism was founded in his suit. With Mick infected, he goes to create an antidote to save him and the infected rebels. Martin is his unwilling assistant, as he is absolutely terrified of zombies, but is the only other intelligent person in the crew able to assist Ray. Ray injects Mick with an accelerant first so to test the antidote's potency, but Mick turns too quickly and bolts, causing Ray and Martin to put the ship on lockdown.
Story arc 3: Jacks takes on Henry Scott's role as Union spy to find the Confederate plans so that the Union can still win the war, and Amaya goes with him. Together, they witness a deplorable slave owner whip a house slave for burning a hole in the tablecloth when ironing, but Jacks holds Amaya back, saying that they can't interfere with history. Jacks waits for the night party before he begins his mission; he thinks he can handle Civil War era racism, but is sadly mistaken and is caught by the owner and chained up with the rest of the slaves.
Blending the Civil War with zombies, having a horror movie flare with some good jumps and comedy, and dealing with a modern day black man experiencing the unfairness of life and yet unbending hope of southern slavery seems like an absolutely ridiculous concept; even almost appalling. Still, being aptly titled "Abominations," this episode was able to tackle each story line and merge them together into an episode that was exciting, scary, funny, thought-provoking, touching, insightful, and overall, satisfying. It is episodes like this that hearken back to the Roddenberry era of Star Trek, in combining messages on taboo subjects such as race with good stories.
Some of the highlights of this episode include:
Sarah proves zombies are real: Gen. Grant doesn't know what zombies are, so Sarah, armed only with a knife, goes out and returns with a decapitated zombie head, which is still alive.
The slaves tell their story: Jacks, terrified and angry at what's befallen him, tries to rally the slaves into helping him escape. They tell him that their master will track them down, and how he castrated and hobbled other slaves who tried to run away. When Jacks asks why they take this unfounded abuse, they tell him that they will not break; that they have hope. Then they all join together and sing a song together, uniting as one in their plight, not allowing anyone to take away their spirit.
Zombies attack the plantation: Jacks and Amaya decided to free the slaves after Amaya frees Jacks, and the zombies are coming. One slave opts to show Jacks where the plans are, and after retrieving them, they run into the owner, who is trying to fight off the zombies. After all he did to Jacks, Jacks still offers to help fight them off. In typical racist manner, he mocks Jacks, only to be attacked head on by a zombie. Jacks and the slave run upstairs as the owner ironically begs for help, but it's already too late, and the owner is eaten by zombies. It was very satisfying to see Jacks overcome his bitterness and hatred, and to see the owner taste karma.
Mick gives Ray a purpose: A freshly recovered Mick, thankful to Ray for saving him again, knows what he can do to make Ray feel like he's contributing again. He pulls a gun out from a box and points it at Ray, giving him a scare at first, then hands it to him. It's Captain Cold's gun, and Mick offers Ray a place beside him, as he's been incomplete without Snart. Ray doesn't need to say anything; his reaction does all the talking.
The final dialogue between Jacks and Martin: Jacks is really missing his mom after all the events he endured. Since they share a psychic connection, Martin goes to check in on him to see how he's doing. He then gives a speech to Jacks about being able to endure what his did and still come out as strong, and Jacks talks about the admiration he developed for those slaves because they did not giving up hope or play into the hands of those who sought to break them. Martin wraps it up by saying: "I suppose there will always be those who will seek to dehumanize us, but I believe there are more who cling to hope despite the darkness." Jacks thinks Martin's talking about the slaves, but he was talking about Jacks.
This Clip has the two above moments together, although the second is only partial. The full speech is sadly, not available at this time.
There were also a ton of reaction videos posted to YouTube from people who watched this episode. Some weren't too keen on the zombies, but the majority of them (which I wasn't able to see all of) found this episode to be one with a great message. As of now, it is still available to watch on the CW website, so you can watch it yourself if you haven't yet.
A Final Word for 2016
Many people, both in the geek realm and outside, agree that 2016 was horrible for everyone. Despite this, geek pop culture has actually been making an effort to stave off the despair. Not all of the moments I selected this year were meant to do that, but many of these sources built on the same subject: hope.
I already covered how Legends of Tomorrow covered hope in the episode of the year, but this message was also very prominent in the following:
A Final Word for 2016
Many people, both in the geek realm and outside, agree that 2016 was horrible for everyone. Despite this, geek pop culture has actually been making an effort to stave off the despair. Not all of the moments I selected this year were meant to do that, but many of these sources built on the same subject: hope.
I already covered how Legends of Tomorrow covered hope in the episode of the year, but this message was also very prominent in the following:
Supergirl saves National City with her hope speech:
Oliver Queen inspires Star City with message of hope and unity:
There were other messages of hope in the films and TV series released in 2016, sending an additional message that it's the sci-fi, fantasy and geek realm that offers inspiration. This decade, mostly dominating by the MCU, is showing itself to be the decade of superheroes. With messages a hope like these ones (from DC Universe, I know!), they pull double duty in that the masses are entertained and reminding everyone that regardless of the villains or circumstances these people are up against, it is ultimately hope that ensures their successes.
This is what I will be remembering most from 2016's geek moments: the importance of hope. 2017 will be releasing a slew of heavily anticipated movies and the returns of great shows, and my fingers are crossed that they will be maintaining this message. And yes, I will be keeping track of the hope speeches for next year's list.
Thank you for reading, and have a great 2017!
