Mum's Monday: The Escape by C.L. Taylor

Jo Blackmore has had a traumatic time of it, and as a result, the people around her, don’t believe her, or thinks she has misinterpreted an incident with Paula. There is a fine line between support and the thinking that Jo has over reacted.

Jo has agoraphobia, and this is portrayed in a way that teaches the reader, that this phobia, doesn’t always result in the sufferer being unable to go outside, but once they are out, they are unable to process normal, everyday, sometimes stressful incidents without panicking.

I always thought if you suffered from this phobia you just couldn’t go out, so this has a learning element to this book and has been well researched.

Paula is clever, Max (Jo’s husband) is an investigative journalist, has this put Jo and their daughter Elise in danger? Should they have called the police? Answer ‘yes’ to both, but due to Jo’s condition it is described and manipulated to look like Jo has an innocent incident all wrong. This is a shame, Jo hasn’t got more understanding and isn’t being taken more seriously by Max, but he has been through so much as well and can’t take much more trying to hold his family together.

It is good we find out early on the truth about what Jo is experiencing.

Just when things look bleak, there is hope. The way this is written, this book has been extremely well researched, going into real depth, of a situation, this adds to the realism and the quality of the story telling.

The first part of this book, sets up a solid storyline for the second part, more representing the name of the book.

As I read part 2, I wandered how it would pan out, in a way Jo was digging a big hole for herself, despite the part, where she finds herself on the beach, realising, she can escape the hole that has been 3 years in the making.

A twist in the storyline, makes for a good read.

It is good to see things work out for Jo, despite having to go through the proper channels of legislation, which again, have been well researched. There is not much information or depth to this, but that would only be rambling and the story doesn’t need it, as it explains enough.

The ending is brilliant; it is good to see Jo take back control at the end of the epilogue.

Well played Jo Blackmore

I didn’t want to put this book down whilst reading it. It keeps you intrigued.

1,000 Words: Deer

A herd of deer in the middle of a field; something you don't see every day. 


Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

Film of the Week: Annabelle: Creation

The fourth instalment to The Conjuring franchise, and a prequel to the 2014 horror film, Annabelle, this horror film is much scarier than its predecessor, but still has a long way to go before it becomes number 1 in the entire franchise; that top spot is still held by the first Conjuring film. However, that doesn’t mean this film isn’t scary, because it most certainly is. What makes the story of this film also entertaining, is because it serves as a standalone story.

It doesn’t set up the film Annabelle by using the same characters, those events are only introduced right at the very end, allowing this film to have an imagination and create a unique and genuinely scary experience for the audience. We learn how the doll is made, and how it became cursed, and what was done to prevent the evil spirit hurting anyone.

It became cursed when the Mullins believed their deceased daughter was trying to get back into contact with them by asking permission to enter the doll, and over the next few months, the spirit grew stronger and manipulated the Mullins feelings by projecting an image of their daughter about the house, having fun, as if everything was normal. That is, until the spirit grew strong enough that it was able to start making advances towards taking the mum’s soul, Esther Mullins. They attempted to seal the doll in a room, where the walls were covered in pages of the bible and blessed by a priest. All was OK, until 12 years later when the father, Samuel Mullins (Anthony LaPaglia) opened their home as an orphanage for a group of girls whose orphanage they were living at closed down.

Janice (Talitha Bateman) was the unfortunate chosen one by the evil spirit, and was successful in taking over her body after playing around, growing stronger and a couple failed attempts. There were many atmospheric shorts as we saw fleeting glimpses of the spirit before it started to tease poor Janice. There were a few moments where the hairs on the back of my neck stood up on end, not because of any jump scares, because there are barely any, but purely because of how the director, David F. Sandberg creatively uses the screen to make sure you’re on the edge of the seat at all times.

In conclusion:

It’s not as scary as the first Conjuring film, but it’s definitely the second scariest film in the franchise and should be watched more than once just in case you’ve missed something whilst covering your eyes.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Watch – Part 226:

(Tom’s Perspective)

The sun’s rays poked their way through the curtains, bathing my eyes in their warmth. I woke up, gently and slowly, the comfortable pillow under my head and the mattress under my back forced me to have a lie in.

‘Knock, knock,’ Alex’s voice called through the closed door. ‘Are you awake yet?’

‘Yeah, I’m awake,’ I called back.

‘Good,’ and the door swung open and in stepped Alex, wearing a black and white striped dressing gown with matching pyjamas. Her radiant smile made the sun look dim, and her red, shoulder length hair made her blue eyes shine brighter than ever. She was carrying a tray with a plate of toast sitting next door to a full glass of orange juice.

‘What have I done to deserve this?’ I asked, sitting up.

‘Nothing,’ she said, placing the tray on my legs. ‘We’re inside your mind remember; it has to start somehow. Plus, you need breakfast, so here you go,’ she said, neutrally.

‘Fair enough,’ I agreed, eyeing up the well-made breakfast, which smelt nice.

‘I thought we would still be on the sofa,’ Alex queried. ‘And why am I wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown? It would have made much more sense if we were where we left of, you know,’ she said.

‘Hey, I can’t help that,’ I said, truthfully. ‘It’s not my fault I got shot by those needles. They hurt a lot, you know. And I was shot by a Taser. I guess my mind wanted me to feel something nice after all that,’ I counter argued.

‘I guess that makes sense, but you still haven’t answered why I’m in pyjamas and a dressing gown,’ she said.

‘That part I wasn’t in control of, I’m afraid to say,’ I said, again truthfully.

‘Well, I’ll let you off this one time only, then,’ she said. ‘If it happens again, I will blame you, OK,’ she said sternly.

‘OK,’ I said wanting to get stuck into this breakfast.

‘Whilst you’re having your breakfast, I’m going to get dressed. When you’re done, I would like you to get dressed as well. We have a busy day ahead of us.’

‘I’ll be right down,’ I said, smiling. Alex turned and started towards the door. ‘Oh, and Alex,’ I called before she disappeared out of the room. She turned around to face me once more.

‘Yeah?’

‘How long will I be here? I mean, how long will this dream last?’ I asked.

‘You were shot with five needles that were full of sleeping potion – you’ve forgotten what the actual name of it is, so we’ll call it that if and when you remember – but whilst you were immune to it at first, the electric current didn’t mix well and the sleeping potion “activated”, if you will, and therefore you were knocked out. You’re here for as long as it takes for your body to process all of the sleeping potion. Unfortunately, that won’t be as long as you’d hope it to be, I’m afraid to say, because it won’t take long for your body to become immune to it once more, which means we had better get everything that I have planned for you done before you do wake up.’

‘Nice Segway,’ I said.

‘I don’t think that counts as a Segway,’ Alex said, thinking it over.

‘Doesn’t it?’ I asked.

‘I’m not sure. But let’s not ponder what we can’t figure out. You have your breakfast, I’ll get changed, and then we can get stuck into the day ahead. Deal?’

‘Deal,’ I agreed.

‘Good,’ she smiled, turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. I rubbed my hands together, preparing myself to get stuck into this breakfast. I picked up one of the pieces of toast and took a large bite out of it. It was delicious. My mind’s a good cook, although I don’t think that a piece of toast counts as cooking, but still. I then took a sip of the orange juice which was as fresh as can be, and it didn’t have any pulp, either, which was a bonus as I absolutely hate pulp. I can’t stand the stuff.

I don’t know what is happening to me in the real world, and frankly I don’t care. If I’m here, that means I’m still alive. I want to make this day last as long as possible, even with a time limit.

When I had finished my breakfast, I climbed out of bed and made sure that the duvet was flat. I don’t usually worry about making my bed in the mornings, but today it felt like the right thing to do, so I did it. I found a set of folded clothes at the bottom of the bed: Just a standard blue T-shirt and trousers that were designed to lounge about in. After I had pulled them on, I picked up the empty tray and made my way downstairs where I found Alex sitting in the living room, wearing the same clothes she wore in my previous dream: Ripped jeans, and a white tank-top. I placed the tray down on the kitchen counter and entered the living room.

‘Ready?’ she asked, standing up.

‘Ready for what?’ I asked.

‘We’re going out,’ she said.

‘Where to?’ I asked.

‘You’ll see,’ she said. She hasn’t answered any of my questions, but I didn’t mind. I don’t mind what happens in this dream as long as I am able to stay here as long as possible.

‘OK,’ I said, simply.

‘Great,’ Alex said, turning on the spot and making her way to the front door. The door wasn’t locked, so she opened it and stepped out, with me close behind. The day was beautiful. It was the perfect temperature with enough clouds in the sky to dim the sun enough so that it isn’t constantly in your eyes. The road running in front of the house was empty and there wasn’t a single person in sight. Alex closed the door behind her and stood beside me. She then took my hand in hers. I felt stronger with her beside me. I had no worries or no responsibilities. It was just us two and the world.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

Mum's Monday: Goodnight Sweetheart

Warning spoilers

My favourite episode –When Two Worlds Collide.

First a bit of background story:

Gary Sparrow (Nicholas Lyndhurst) was an ordinary husband, married to Yvonne (Michelle Holmes and then in later seasons Emma Amos) living in the 1980/90s, working as a TV repair man. Until one day he walks down an alley way called Ducketts passage, and finds himself in a pub called The Royal Oak. So far, so ordinary, but Gary has stumbled upon a time porthole and has time-travelled back to the war years of the 1940s.

Fast forward to nearing the end of the war a lot has changed, Gary lost his job as a TV repair man due to being caught, having had a few drinks, about to drive his van. The episode that shows Gary’s down fall also has a great line in it, where Gary says that he hasn’t had a drink for 40 years, having time-travelled back to the present after drinking in The Royal Oak back in the 40s.

Ducketts passage is no more and there is a row of shops, where Gary sells his World War 2 memorabilia, that he has picked up whilst time-travelling and the time porthole is now in the Gary’s shop back court yard, a perfect set up. Mint condition war items is not the only thing Gary has picked up. He is now married to Phoebe (Dervla Kirwan and in later seasons Elizabeth Carling) the land lady of The Royal Oak and has a son Michael.

The scripts to keep Gary running his 2 lives are well done. When Gary goes back to the war years he pretends to be an agent, which isn’t far from the truth and the scripts can then easily explain, how Gary knows so much off what is going on.

Now to my favourite episode, a bomb has gone off in Ducketts passage, and Gary worries he won’t be able to get back to the present day. Luckily whilst walking over the rubble he is able to find the time porthole, but he isn’t the only one who stumbles upon it. Phoebe also appears in the modern day Gary’s shop. This is executed so realistically, we see Gary running around packing away things that don’t belong in war time Britain, he explains that Phoebe has found his secret headquarters and saying that it is not a good idea has a whole new level off meaning. Phoebe’s reaction to modern day music is amusing to see and “What is a Toilet Duck?” some things slipped through the net.

Gary, then calls on his trusted friend Ron (Victor McGuire), he is supposed to be out on a date, so this makes for a great cover story he tells Yvonne that Phoebe has a thing for the war and is Ron’s date, Gary has kindly lent him the shop for the night. Ron, it seems does get used by Gary and he does rely on Ron and in some cases, takes advantage, but Ron hasn’t done too badly out of the friendship. When Ron finds himself homeless, Gary lets him have his war time, west end, Mayfair apartment, he bought for him, Phoebe and Michael, to escape the bombing in the east end, which he finds he still owns in modern day and when Yvonne sells her business she gives Ron a cheque.

Gary has put his stereo on and an air raid siren is going off in the shop, so Phoebe thinks there is the usual bombs going off in London. Gary reassures her that she is safe and yes the safest air raid yet. It is perfect how it all comes together. just as we think Gary can keep his two worlds apart, Yvonne walks into the shop and meets Phoebe. The script starts strong and solid but by the end of the meeting with a few uh and what it fizzles out. However, it is Gary’s reaction that makes the scene, his eyes are wide open and he can’t believe he has just got away with, the biggest secret of his life.

The ending is unexpected and opens up a whole new

Jerry's Journal: "I Don't Understand (But It's So Much Fun)"

This is Jerry's first time out in snow, and as you can see by the video, he's having immense fun, as well as getting adorably confused by how the snowballs are disappearing and he can't find them.

Note: To explain what I mean by the car keys, sometimes, if we're not quick enough or he's cunning, he escapes the house, and we've learnt that he absolutely loves sitting in the back seat of the car. So, we grab the car keys, unlock the car, open the backdoor and he jumps in and promptly sits down, allowing us to hook his lead to his collar and bring him in. That's what we did after the video ended. Works every single time without fault.


Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

Random Topic Generator: My Top 10 Moments in Crisis on Earth X

Last week’s massive crossover event between all four shows, Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow went bigger and better than last years’ and was one of my most anticipated TV event of this year. I was not disappointed, and last week I gave a spoiler free review. This article will cover my top 10 moments, so there will be massive spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen the four parts yet.

10: When Oliver went through Cisco’s breach.

This moment happens during the first fight between Earth 1 and Earth X in the church, and whilst that fight is a massive moment that deserves a spot on this list, after a bit of thinking, I decided that this moment topped that, because there is a lot of history behind it. When Arrow first started, the intention was to keep it down-to-Earth, with no superpowers, just pure realism. However, that plan quickly changed as the years went on, and soon the introduction of superpowers has now become a staple within the Arrowverse. When Oliver asked Cisco to open a breach so he can jump to the balcony to fight his Earth X doppelganger, that’s a significant moment purely because it does show just how much everything has developed and changed.

9: Oliver reminds The Flash and Supergirl he doesn’t have super speed.

Oliver has frequently stated he doesn’t have super speed, and is understandably annoyed when heading out, Supergirl and The Flash zoom off leaving him to catch up on his motorbike. The scene opens with The Flash and Supergirl arriving at the destination and waiting for Oliver to catch up in a mockingly bored fashion, before getting reminded. I laughed out loud and was a nice interlude before moving onto the biggest reveal of the episode.

8: Tommy Merlyn returning.

It’s probably a moment we all had predicted before watching the episode, but it was still a good reveal and an excellent conversation between Tommy’s Earth X doppelganger and Oliver, because you really feel for Oliver seeing his best friend being evil. It was brief, but Tommy was a great inclusion in the episode.

7: Sara and Alex’s one-night stand.

It was inevitable the moment Sara met Alex and had their first drink together, but that doesn’t make it a bad thing. The way they handled it the morning afterwards put an amount of comedy we needed into the episode before everything flipped upside down.

6: Everyone on the Waverider, just before the ultimate fight.

Seeing all the heroes standing in unison together on the ship served as another moment that showed just how far everything has come since the very beginning, and I enjoyed the symbolism with having Oliver standing at the front, with everyone else standing behind. Oliver came first, then the rest of them. Great imagery.

5: Citizen Cold

Captain Cold returns. His Earth X Doppelganger is fighting against the Nazis and is looking pretty much identical to his Comic Book version. It was an immediate warm welcome back into the group and I’m glad we get to see more of him in future episodes of Legends of Tomorrow.

4: The CGI.

Whilst it’s not necessarily a specific moment, because the CGI was used throughout the episode, but as the four shows have grown in popularity, and there was a lot riding on this crossover being a success, they made sure the CGI was the best it can be with the money and resources they had, and it didn’t look out of place. It didn’t distract me from the episode, allowing me to focus on what is going on instead of grimacing at the poor quality imagery.

3: The doppelgangers.

You can just tell that the actors had fun playing the evil version of their characters. Seeing Oliver Queen, Supergirl react and interact with their Earth X counterparts was entertaining. Or course, The Reverse Flash had to be The Flash’s enemy in this episode, but it was confusing how it was precisely Earth 1’s Reverse Flash. They never explained how he’s precisely the character that got wiped from existence twice, but it was still fun to see the heroes interact with the bad guys.

2: Martin’s sacrifice.

It was incredibly sad saying goodbye to Martin Stein. He got shot attempting to be a hero without being firestorm, and whilst he completed his task of activing the machine to create the breach, it didn’t work as well as he had hoped. But that wasn’t his sacrifice. It was when he convinces Jax to give him to serum to end their connection and let Martin die, so that Jax shall live. Quite a powerful move on Martin’s behalf, and an overall powerful scene.

1: The final battle.

If you’ve already seen the episode, the final battle being my top moment was highly predictable, but it was incredibly entertaining and immensely epic. It needs to be experienced, because I can’t fully what happens fully purely from the fact that so much happens at once, but it’s shot in such a way that it is easy to focus on all that’s happening at once. It’s going to be take some beating. We’re going to have to wait until next year before we see what their attempt will be

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

TV of the Week: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Season 5 – Episodes 1 and 2

When Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was first announced as an expansion on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I was doubtful that it would work, and they proved me right during the first half of the first season. However, I was eating humble pie when it returned after the mid-season break, when it suddenly escalated in quality and intelligently crossed over with the films, specifically at the time Captain America – The Winter Soldier, the downfall of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the TV series. The subsequent seasons focused on rebuilding the organisation with Colson as the director, and the introduction and development of a new element within the Cinematic Universe, the Inhumans.

Each season after the mid-season break of season 1 has only but increasing in quality, and now it’s a show that I cannot afford to miss. All the characters have developed massively, and dealt with incredible challenges, but none as massive and complex as in season 5. They discover they’re in the future, after the world had been obliterated by Quake. This storyline can be placed in a separate timeline altogether, when the Avengers lost the to Thanos in Infinity War – however, more details will come together and that speculation may change as we learn with the characters.

The moment when I saw that this show is only but getting better and better is when Daisy and Mae both went out into space to get an idea of what’s going on, and saw the ruined world, completely and utterly destroyed, with only but chunks remaining. That was truly a jaw dropping moment, and one that I wasn’t expecting in the slightest.

It’s understandable if you’ve quit watching the show either at the mid-season break of before, because it was dreadful. However, I do highly recommend picking up where it restarting and following the show from there, and if you can, catch up.

There are a couple of storylines that need resolving, either in this series on the next, but the one that stands above the rest apart from the main and that’s the deal Colson made with the Ghost Rider at the very end of Season 4. It will be interesting to learn what exactly that deal is, and how it affects Colson and the team as a whole, and what it means going forward.

I will be glued to the TV when each episode comes around, because I don’t want to miss an episode during this season, especially now considering that the big event is looming around the corner, Infinity War. This is what all the films have been building towards – with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. playing a closer role than any other TV show set in the same universe, it’ll be interesting how they crossover as subtly as they have in the past.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Watch – Part 225:

(In Tom’s perspective)

My name and appearance is now on the radar. I’m sitting behind a dumpster, watching car after car, person after person drive and walk past the entrance of the alleyway. My legs are slowly recovering, and my heart is gradually slowing down; with every second that passes, my heart beats one beat slower until it has reduced its speed to a leisurely pace. The smell of this place finally broke through into my nose, making me gag at the rotten garbage that fills the dumpster and the juices that make up small puddles where I am. I checked to make sure, but I was extremely happy to find that I was not sitting in one of those puddles. But I was not going to sit behind here any longer. I did try breathing through my mouth only, but the thick, lingering smell stuck at the back of my throat, increasing the chances of my stomach forcibly rejecting the smell. I needed to get out of here now before I start throwing up.

I clambered out into the open, making sure I made as little noise as possible, and somehow I made no noise at all. Even though this air isn’t much better, compared to what was behind the dumpster, this was the freshest air I’ve ever breathed in comparatively, and as a result, I breathed in deeply to make sure that I had filtered out all of that putrid air. My stomach stopped doing backflips and I was able to relax a bit.

My legs shaking slightly after not fully recovering all the way, but they were strong enough to keep me upright.

I watched the many cars and people pass the alleyway once more, and once again the thought that I shouldn’t be here crept into the forefront of my mind. The fact that I went from having some company who offered to help me to being all alone once more was disassociating. And it was all my fault. I wouldn’t be in this position if I hadn’t stolen that drink. But I did what I had to do at the time. And now I’m on the Polices radar, probably going to be hunted for a very long time to come. The one thing that I didn’t want to happen has happened. I tried so hard to make sure that it didn’t happen. But it did happen.

I didn’t get a chance to know Tim properly, or any of the other residents on the campsite. I was there for less than a day, for less than a half a day, for that matter. I thought I was going in the right direction; that I was going to stay there until Sebastian came to get me, but that was never meant to be. I thought that things were or had already picked up from being dumped in an unfamiliar world, with nothing in my name and nobody that I knew. But all of that disappeared in less than a second.

Maybe I should have stayed. Maybe I could have talked my way out of that situation, just like Tim did. But I decided not to. I decided that the best thing to do was run. Why? Why did I decide that? I didn’t think things through. I just made up my mind there and then, and now I’m in a position that I don’t think I should have gotten myself into.

Now what do I do?

Before, at least I had the confidence that I wasn’t being noticed by anyone, but now any number of people are going to be actively looking for me, trying to find my face within the crowd. The only good thing that I have in my favour is that I am not on any records whatsoever. I have no bank account, no home address, no telephone and no relations to contact. All they have is to make sure they have looked under every rock, through every crack and in every crowd, try and predict my movements and associations. Before, I was lost in the crowd naturally, but now I have to actively seek isolation. And from what I have just learnt, trying to do something isn’t the best thing to do as that will lead to doing the complete opposite result. How am I going to make sure that I do things without thinking? Ah, but I must think about my actions otherwise I would end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have to think things through rationally, weigh up each pro and con to make sure that what I am about to do is the best thing at the time, or overall. But is trying to decide whether doing something for the good or bad the best thing to do. That’s a paradox.

From what I have just concluded: I shouldn’t think because that would lead to bad results, but by not thinking that would lead to bad results as well. I can’t win. Ah, but do I want to win? No, I want to survive. Better yet, I want Sebastian to come and get me right here, right now. This very second. This very moment. Now. But he isn’t here. And he won’t be here for an unknown amount of time, possibly for a seemingly infinite amount of time… that might be a bit of an over exaggeration, but still and entirely possible. That’s another paradox. Infinite will come to an end, and soon.

What am I even thinking about anymore? I need to get back on track. Actually do something relevant to this situation, otherwise I’m going to stand here and do nothing, and that’s a sure way of getting caught. Unless by standing here because I don’t want to keeps me from getting caught and stepping out of this alleyway is the best way of getting caught by the Police?

What?

Ok, think. What do I do now? Stop asking that question and think about what I need to do now. Stop thinking about wondering what I do now and just think about what I do now.

What?

‘He’s down here?’ a voice behind me shouted. I turned around and saw a single Police Officer walking down the alleyway, slowly and gingerly. How did they find me so fast? That doesn’t matter, just run. Should I run though? Would it be better of me if I let myself get caught? No, I should run. I have no idea what is going to happen when they catch up to me, and frankly, I don’t want to find out. It’s going to be difficult, but I believe I should run. I moved an inch towards the entrance of the alleyway, back where I came from.

‘Stay where you are and put your hands on your head,’ the Police Officer shouted. ‘I do not want to use force, but I will if you force my hand.’ What does that mean? Does he have a gun, a baton, a Taser? I don’t want to get stung a Taser. If I run as fast as I can, I might be able to escape before he can do anything.

I stood, waiting, counting down from five to one. When I hit one, I legged it. But the Officer was incredibly quick. He shot me. But not with a gun loaded with bullets, but with a gun loaded with needles? The needle pierced my forearm, its end digging deeper into my skin the more that I move it. I knew that whatever was in the needles had already been injected into my body so it was pointless to try and take it out. It must be sleep inducing chemicals that I can’t think of the proper name for right now. But if it was supposed to take effect, it didn’t. I didn’t want to jump straight to the conclusion that I was immune to what was in this needles, but because I wasn’t feeling any effects after a few seconds, then I can only say that immunity is the best way to describe it. I should take this opportunity and leg it. And so I started to once more, and the Police Officer shot me again. The needles pierced my left forearm this time, and yet still nothing happened.

‘I don’t understand,’ The Officer said, ‘you should have dropped like a stone from the first one. Who are you?’

I will not answer that question because I cannot answer that version of that question, only tell the Officer my name, and they already know that. For the third time, I started legging it once more, and once again, I was shot with those needles. This time, three in a row, all piercing my back. The pain was unbearable. My eyes started watering. I now have five needles sticking into my body, each one injecting me with sleep inducing chemicals.

And still nothing. I was still immune. I have no idea how much of that chemical concoction I have in my system right now, but it wasn’t taking any effect on me whatsoever. All it was doing was causing me immense pain. I should give up because of the pain.

But then, before I knew it, the most intense pain I’ve ever felt in my entire life exploded through my body, tightening up every muscles, rendering me unable to move. I could feel the pulsating electricity flow through my veins. The Officer was hitting me his Taser.

And that was all that I could take. I feel to my knees, eyes watering, and my muscles weak. I blacked out before I hit the ground.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

Jerry's Journal: Visiting Nana and Granddad's house

Jerry visiting Nana and Granddad's house for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

He was being such a good boy, he was awarded a jumbo treat that he eat in about five minutes.

He then settled down with Nana, Mum and Granddad, although he didn't stay there for very long so I was lucky I caught this picture.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

TV Show of the Week: Crisis on Earth X

This will a spoiler free review.

Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow team up once more for one colossal adventure. Last year, because Supergirl was still finding its feet on CW, it had to run its storyline with the starting point of the four-night crossover tact on at the end. This time, after fully establishing itself on the network and becoming fully integrated with the Arrowverse, this crossover can include all four shows. Although, instead of four nights, they’ve changed the schedule around so it’s over two nights, with Arrow following Supergirl on the Monday instead of being on the Thursday.

Crisis on Earth X sees the heroes battling against their evil doppelgangers on the fifty-third earth, Earth X, where the Nazis won world war 2. This crossover doesn’t separate the shows into their own sections, they all start off interweaved, introducing all the characters with the premise of Barry and Irises’ wedding. Then they immediately come together and at the wedding the crossover officially begins.

3 hours of pure entertainment, full of actions sequences, heartfelt moments, funny moments, and a true tear jerker at the end. Whilst the TV extended universe is completely different and separated from the film version of the extended universe, after recently seeing the Justice League film, and whilst they do include different characters, I feel as if it’s an obligation to state that this 3-hour epic is vastly superior than the film. There was a lot of excitement building up to the crossover, there were pictures being released alongside the trailers, but I the hype was not diminished upon watching it; I was not disappointed. I enjoyed every minute.

Almost every actor from all four shows made an appearance, either as a character we’ve seen plenty of times before, or as the Earth X counterpart. Seeing those actors play a different version of themselves, brought a whole new element to the show, a completely different angle compared to every episode before it across all four shows. You can tell they all were having fun whilst making the show. It might be four shows, but it was made as one gigantic episode, split into four parts. They most definitely pushed the bar upwards from last year’s crossover.

If I had the time, I would be watching this multiple times in a row so I can pick up on all the references and Easter eggs scattered all throughout, because even though I picked up on a tonne load, I know there were so many more to find. Having a crossover after fully establishing each of the four shows, does allow for plenty of creativity without having to introduce so much, just focus on the story with strategic interludes throughout for exposition.

I already cannot wait until next year’s crossover event. Next week, I will be covering the four night crossover in much more detail, by listing off my top ten favourite moments.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

1,000 Words: Picturesque

Catching these scenery on a clear day can take your breath away... or it might have been the freezing cold wind, but I think that's debatable, probably.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

TV Show of the Week: The Punisher

This will be a spoiler free review. All plot details will be included in the article where I cover the entire series as a whole once I’ve eventually finished it. If I had the opportunity, I would definitely binge watch the entire series in one day, but that’s just not possible. I’m only able to pick off one episode a night.

During the first episode, in one particular scene where he helps someone out by doing things his way, I remembered the conversation he had with Daredevil in series 2 episode 3. It was a detailed discussion about how different him and Daredevil see the world and what must be done to protect it. This series focuses on that entire conversation. I’ve watched the first six episodes, and it’s exactly as I expected it to be, dark, extremely gritty; it’s staying true to the character in the comics. Frank is an anti-hero. He still saves the day, but he leaves plenty of destruction in his wake – seeing his viewpoint in an entire thirteen-episode run, extends upon that conversation, and adds a lot more meaning and weight to both character’s words.

With seven episodes to go, they’ve officially announced the main antagonist of the series, there have been plenty of action sequences, and plenty of character building which does involves a lot of conversations. I would be lying if I had expecting non-stop action that rivals or even blows all that featured in Daredevil out of the water, and in context of the show, it most definitely rivals, but there isn’t as much as I had expected, and after watching the first six episodes, that’s perfectly understandable. It would be boring if they did nothing but action, I’m seeing these six episodes as a way of building up to something awesome. Two former special forces agents battling each other whilst Frank struggles to maintain some sanity in his life. What started out as an intimidation act for Micro, turned into Micro’s only form of communication between him and his family. Using Frank as a Proxy, we get to see many characters open up in ways that wouldn’t have happened in any other way.

Each episode sucks me in. The world it’s in may be filled with people with superpowers, so it does make a change to follow someone who’s an ordinary human being with an incredible amount of will power and determination to keep going – right up to the moment where he physically cannot move any further. He does take some heavy hits in the first half of this series, and of course he does recover to fight another day, and if this series doesn’t take a sudden turn, Frank is the type of character that learns from past mistakes and goes back into the fight much more ferociously than before – hopefully it’ll be fun watching him knock anything and anyone that gets in the way of his main objective, avenging his family.

This spinoff did exactly as it intended to do and added to an already established world; it didn’t introduce Frank, just put him in a situation and we learn everything he does only, something no other Netflix series as done, giving The Punisher a new look and feel, keeping it purely original and a true standalone to the others before it.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

The Watch – Part 224:

(Tom’s perspective)

‘Hey, stop,’ the Police Officer shouted the moment that I turned my back and ran.

‘Hey, watch it,’ someone shouted as I nearly ran into them. It took them a couple of seconds to realise that I was being chased by the Police and that I needed to be caught, but I was already recovered and running off. I didn’t look back to see their reaction. The path is mostly clear of people, allowing me to run at a decent speed, but not fast enough to get away from the Officer behind me. I didn’t have to look back to know that he was right behind me, but it’s only because of the occasional dodging a person here and there, I was able to keep the lead, however as soon as it opens up, I knew that I had to push myself.

I have no idea where I’m heading, and at this point I’m too afraid to ask. I don’t even know whether running is the best thing to do, and I’m too afraid to ask that as well, especially when I just know that it would distract me. I can’t let myself think too much. All I can do is run.

I’m not paying attention to the roads. All I’m doing is turning this way and that. I can’t run back to the campsite. That’s the first place anyone will look. I have to find a new place. But before I can do that, I have to get rid of this Police Officer.

He was evidently a lot fitter than I was, which made the fact that I was able to stay ahead of him, and for quite some time all the more surprising. But it did come with a cost. It wasn’t long before I was out of breath. My legs were screaming at me to stop and my lungs were trying to suck in as much oxygen as they could to keep my body working. Even though I could feel my body wanting to stop, I forced myself to continue. All I have to do is find a place to duck into and hide. Once there, I can recover and think about what to do next.

I saw an opening for an alleyway coming up. I ducked in there, knowing that the officer saw me and was still following me. I shouldn’t have turned down here. So many obstacles. Bins on their side, rubbish littering the floor, and many puddles of water where the sun has been able to evaporate yet. Jumping over one of the bins, flying through the air, and landing back on my feet, my aching legs gave way from underneath me and I fell to the floor, but my momentum carried me forward and I rolled into a position that allowed me to clamber back to my feet and continue running, but I had lost the valuable lead I had on the officer. I could hear his footsteps right behind me. I needed to pick up the pace, but I’m not sure if my body will allow me. My foot slapped one of the puddles, drenching my ankles and spraying water up my leg, and then I had to dodge the many bits of rubbish.

Eventually, I burst free of the alleyway worse for wear than before I entered it, but I had to keep going. I got very lucky back there, but I don’t want to risk it again. From now on, until I’m absolutely sure that I can get away with it, I will be staying on the paths.

The paths were a lot clearer than the ones before, allowing me to pick up some speed, but unfortunately, allowing the officer to do so as well. He’s right behind me. I refuse to get caught.

My heart is beating faster than ever before, my lungs are sucking in so much oxygen at once, and my legs were continuously being pushed to their absolute limit. I didn’t have to look behind me to know that the officer is right there, only a step or two away, and always gradually getting ever closer until he is able to grab me from behind and bring me to a stop. I can imagine him holding out his hand, his fingertips so close to the back of my T-shirt. I don’t know how I did it and I doubt I would ever know, but I’m glad it did. I pushed myself even more, and I sped up, gradually, slowly, but I was going faster than I’ve ever ran before. I should have tripped up over my own legs, but I didn’t. I should have collapsed because of exhaustion, but I didn’t. I should have dropped unconscious because of lack of oxygen, but I didn’t. I cannot explain what happened, but I was running faster than humanly possible… Maybe? Maybe I had finally reached the point where it just didn’t matter anymore, that I had gone beyond my limit, and therefore set a new limit. All I knew was that I was pulling away from the officer. I knew that I was escaping. My body didn’t care how long I was running for. All achiness in my legs went away, my lungs didn’t hurt anymore. It was simply one of the weirdest experiences I’ve ever had. All the people who were walking along the path looked as if they came to a standstill mid-step, and that they all cleared a route, allowing me to run right through without having to dodge, yet the officer has to.

There’s a junction up ahead. The traffic lights are on red and the green man is showing. Then the traffic lights changed from green to flashing amber. If it was safe for them to go, the traffic will start to move, and because I’m nowhere near the lights, I won’t be able to get across before the traffic starts flowing fully once more. But I was running so fast. I wasn’t worried. Before I knew it, I was running across the road. I was far enough away from the officer that the cars were able to start moving before he reached them. Of course, the Police Officer has the power to stop the traffic, but by the time he gets across the road, I would be long gone. And I was.

Another alleyway entrance sprung up. I dived into it and saw a dumpster. I knew it was the most clichéd hiding places you can get, but it’ll have to do for now. Usually, when you are running as fast as you can, it takes a couple of seconds for you to kill your momentum and stop, but I didn’t have to do that. I dived behind the dumpster and came to an immediate stop. I wasn’t out of breath; my legs weren’t aching. I cannot explain what happened or how my body was able to cope with it.

But the moment I did stop, the achiness shot back up my legs, stronger than ever, and I fell to the floor. I have to pray that the officer isn’t going to see me because I won’t be able to move for quite some time.

Now I can start to think what to do next.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)