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The Punisher (2017)
Back on track
After really crappy series like Iron Fist and The Defenders, Marvel is back on track with The Punisher. This series is not on the same level like the first season of Daredevil, but quite close. The story is OK, but has no real twists in it. But what I liked was the action and the way how Frank Castle is portrayed. There aren't many action scenes, but the few really deliver. They are tough, violent, and gory. No watering down here. And good thing is, the Punisher finalizes fights as they should end, with a kill.
The whole atmosphere of the Punisher is great. It is gritty and captures the anti-hero aspects quite well. One reason for this is, the actors are all doing a great job and the character development is well integrated into the story. Jon Bernthal brings Frank Castle to life very well. The rest of the cast is good too and portray their characters quite well. I think we have to live with the feminism thing now, meaning in every movie or series is a tough acting woman like Dinah Madani, who wants to proof that she can do the job as good as a man or even better.
So all good then? No, there is still some space for improvement. The eight episodes of the series were good, but they didn't feel like "The Punisher". They had a thriller type scenario and it could have been any other label on them. The "Punisher-Feeling" came up in the last four episodes of this season.
But anyway, after great disappointments with series like Iron Fist and Defenders, I am happy to say, with The Punisher Marvel and Netflix redeemed themselves and I am looking forward to season 2.
The Punisher (2017)
Back on track
After really crappy series like Iron Fist and The Defenders, Marvel is back on track with The Punisher. This series is not on the same level like the first season of Daredevil, but quite close. The story is OK, but has no real twists in it. But what I liked was the action and the way how Frank Castle is portrayed. There aren't many action scenes, but the few really deliver. They are tough, violent, and gory. No watering down here. And good thing is, the Punisher finalizes fights as they should end, with a kill.
The whole atmosphere of the Punisher is great. It is gritty and captures the anti-hero aspects quite well. One reason for this is, the actors are all doing a great job and the character development is well integrated into the story. Jon Bernthal brings Frank Castle to life very well. The rest of the cast is good too and portray their characters quite well. I think we have to live with the feminism thing now, meaning in every movie or series is a tough acting woman like Dinah Madani, who wants to proof that she can do the job as good as a man or even better.
So all good then? No, there is still some space for improvement. The eight episodes of the series were good, but they didn't feel like "The Punisher". They had a thriller type scenario and it could have been any other label on them. The "Punisher-Feeling" came up in the last four episodes of this season.
But anyway, after great disappointments with series like Iron Fist and Defenders, I am happy to say, with The Punisher Marvel and Netflix redeemed themselves and I am looking forward to season 2.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Very disappointing!
Well, the pilot was very disappointing. The story, if there is any, seemed very rushed and badly put together. The characters are not very likable and you simply can't related to them. First and second officer trying to impress the captain. A fearful second officer, a smartypants (or better to say arrogant) first officer and what's the deeper sense of giving a male forename to a female first officer? There are so many other things I could list here, for what is wrong with this new Star Trek series, but let me sum it up by saying, "It doesn't feel like the Star Trek universe we know and love.".
The acting seemed a bit wooden, but I am not sure if the actors should be blamed for that or the bad script or the bad directing. At the end of the day, an actor can only work what he or she has. And even a good actor can't make a bad script with bad dialogues good.
Only plus was the visuals of space.
The Defenders (2017)
Almost as bad as Iron Fist
What is wrong with Marvel? Just as I thought or better I hoped they hit rock bottom with "Iron Fist" and new series in the MCU won't be as bad as "Iron Fist", they proved me wrong with "The Defenders". Well, maybe I was too optimistic. Please Marvel, read the negative reviews of people who watched "Iron Fist" and now "The Defenders" and try to do a better job in the upcoming shows. Otherwise there will be no audience at all after another crap like this. You have shown us with "Dare Devil" and "Agent Carter" (I really liked it and in my opinion really underestimated series), that you are capable of doing it right. So, now I am hoping "The Punisher" will be a good show and nothing at all like "Iron Fist" and "The Defenders". The trailer looked promising, but I shouldn't expect too much after these two disappointments.
Into the Badlands (2015)
Very entertaining!
Just watched the first season and I have to say, I was very well entertained. The story setting and story is interesting, the characters are interesting and the actors are all doing a good job.
But the best thing in this show are the fights. I haven't seen so well choreographed martial arts in a TV show ever (ok, Daredevil was pretty good in this regard as well). Kung fu fights, sword fights etc. so much fun to watch. Of course they are exaggerated, but who cares. They are still great to watch.
I am looking forward to season 2 and I hope they keep up the good work
Iron Fist (2017)
Really crap!
Sorry Marvel, but this show is really trash in a really negative way. Finn Jones is definitely a miscast. The main character acts like a simpleton and has no development at all. The fighting scenes are the worst I have ever seen, which brings us back to Finn Jones. He is not a martial artist and this raises the question, why was he the first choice for this role? Even as an actor he doesn't do a good job. Well, maybe he was the only one available for the budget.
The story telling is very slow and there are quite a few plot holes. But I don't want to go into further details.
I have to say, I had high hopes for the Marvel shows on Netflix after watching Dare Devil, which was really great. Good actors, good story! Jessica Jones was not for me, same for Luke Cage. Unfortunately the descent of quality in Marvel shows continues with Iron fist. I hope, they hit rock bottom now and the future Marvel shows Punisher and Defenders will be good again.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Sorry, but the movie doesn't justify the hype!
I have to say after seeing the movie I am quite disappointed. Why, you might ask. Well, the story is not well executed, there is no character development, the action sequences are very hasty, etc.
My critics concerning the story: It is not unusual that a new tyranny arises when an empire has fallen, but unfortunately in this movie it is never explained how this happened. I like it when a movie gives the viewer some background information maybe wrapped up in some character development of the main character so you have a foundation to put the events happening in the movie into a context. But this movie starts nowhere and keeps the viewer completely in the dark. It is never really explained why Luke Skywalker left, what happened to the new Jedi Order, etc. A story based on a fragment of a map and search for Luke Skywalker is really thin. If the intention of the director by this approach was to build up some mystery and tension, then it failed. In my case no tension was built up, but annoyance. The whole movie tries to cover this lack of storytelling by action, action, action and more action only, and by citing the former Star Wars movies (it almost borders on being a copy/remake of the first Star Wars movie). Sorry, but to me this is just poor and lazy storytelling and directing.
My critics concerning the character development: To sum it up, none of the main characters has a real character development nor a background story to understand their motivation for their actions. Here and there you get a hint, but it is nothing conclusive.
Finn for instance. The only thing we get to know about him is, that he was taken as a child by the First Order to be trained and conditioned as a storm-trooper. So, why does he all of a sudden become a deserter? Just because one of his fellow stormtroopers is killed? Or because of killing innocent people? Sorry, but I don't buy that. A indoctrination or conditioning is not that easy to overcome.
And what about Rey? She lives on Jakku as a salvager of ship parts, but can fly a spaceship, knows how to fight with a light saber, and has a connection to the Force, etc. J.J. Abrams gives here and there a few hints, but nothing that would explain her background or her abilities. She stays pretty much a one dimensional character to whom the viewer can not relate to.
And then there is Kylo Ren. Sorry, but compared to Darth Vader, he is a very poor villain. Even Darth Maul in Episode 1 was a better villain. They try to give him more character by showing tough cruel decisions, outbursts of his bad temper, and the conflict in him, but in my opinion it does not work. And again the director gives a few hints of his background (maybe the revelation of him being the son of Han and Leia was too soon), but still he stays an one dimensional character and does not make a real impression to the viewer.
I could go on, but I think you got my point.
And then there is the action. The fights in space are okay, but nothing special. I didn't like the prequels Episode 1, 2, 3 of Star Wars that much, but if I compare the action of Episode 3 with the action of this movie, I would say Episode 3 was way better in this regard. Even 3D doesn't help to make the action sequences in the current movie look better.
So, as you noticed by now, I was pretty disappointed and I don't have any hopes, that the upcoming Star Wars movies will get any better.
Defiance: Upon the March We Fittest Die (2015)
Was this the end of the series?
After seeing the finale of season 3, I suspect there won't be a fourth season. Why? Somehow I had the impression they used the season finale to wrap up almost everything:
-Nolan and Doc Yewll got their revenge on Kindzi.
-Amanda and Stahma made peace.
-Nolan "let" Irisa go and went randomly into deep space.
-Irisa's monologue at the end saying he's getting his dream and that he was a good father to her.
In addition to that, there was no real cliffhanger in the end. Well, if it was the end of the series, then it was a good ending.
Maybe I'm wrong and there will be a season 4, but without Nolan. But I'm not sure what the storyline could be. Maybe a conflict with the VC?
Defiance (2013)
Overall a good SciFi show
I watched all three seasons of Defiance and I liked all of them. The story is nothing we haven't seen before, but so what? Meanwhile it is difficult to make up new stories, because there are no real new stories. So in the end, it's all in the delivery, the fun of the retelling. And having said that, I think Defiance did a good job with the retelling.
In my opinion the created characters were quite interesting. OK, at first all appeared to be too much cliché, but the writers still managed to add an extraordinary twist to almost all of them and to their story. Each character was well developed and multi-layered. They were not one dimensional, all good or all bad, but did portray positive and negative traits. In a way the show reminded me a bit of Farscape (no wonder since Rockne S. O'Bannon was the creator of this show, too). A lot of effort was put into the portrayal of the various cultures with their own music, rituals, prayers, languages, religions, prejudices, and personality tendencies. Another similarity to Farsacpe is, that Defiance too is a show about values. Love can overcome differences and cooperation produces better results than confrontation. That was the main reason why it was fun for me to watch the show.
Continuum (2012)
Good SciFi show.
I had never heard of this show before and just stumbled over it while browsing through SciFi shows mentioned in the internet. So it was just coincidence I noticed this show. After reading the synopsis, the story didn't suggest anything extraordinary. I thought, just another time travel story. Cop from the future is stranded in the present time and becomes a hero because of her knowledge of the future and her gadgets from the future.
Kiera Cameron is a police officer who is well integrated in this (dystopian) future society of 2077 dominated by big corporations. Everything is ruled and controlled by the corporations. The citizens are under constant surveillance and everything seems to be under control. Kiera Cameron is indoctrinated by principles of the corporations or better to say brainwashed and manipulated by an implant in her brain. She doesn't question the rules and laws and lives her happy life with her husband and son. Her world is simple: Follow the given orders, duty comes first and don't question the given orders. The corporations are the good guys and people who are against them are terrorists. So, actually she is not really a very likable character nor hero. OK, she cares about her husband and son, but which wife and mother doesn't. Her perfect life is over when she attends the execution of the Liber8 terrorists. The terrorists have an escape plan by using a time travel device and as they put the plan into action Kiera notices it and tries to intervene. But it is too late, the time travel device is activated and Kiera is pulled back to the year 2012. At first she doesn't know that and tries to make contact with her headquarters. And that's when she meets Alec Sadler, a nerd who has built a "supercomputer" in a barn and uses his own communication/connection network which happens to be the main network in Kiera's time line. Alec Sadler is the founder and future CEO of the biggest company, SadTech, in Kieras time.
So nothing new then? Actually all the things in this show were seen before somewhere. Time traveling, the shown advanced technology of the future, (dystopian) future ruled by dictatorship of companies, etc. It is not these things what makes the show fun to watch, but the interactions of the characters, the slow revelation of background of characters and their motivation for their actions and the little twists which happen. So, it is like a jig saw puzzle. The big picture about the characters and their personal agenda builds up slowly and that keeps it interesting.
Plus, as a huge SciFi fan, I like it to imagine how things in the future might be and this show delivers that. Many good science fiction stories are based on present events, technologies and developments, which they take and project into a future scenario. Some of my favourite SciFi novels are based on this idea, e.g. Michael Crichton's "Prey" or "Next" or George Orwell's "1984". This show does the same by describing a future in which corporations rule the society, the people are under 100% surveillance, controlled, and manipulated. If you compare this future with our present time, is there really such a big difference? In my personal opinion, no. Todays corporations do have huge influence on governments. Their involvement is just a bit more subtle, but a well- known secret. They are supporting the politicians and their campaign for office with their donations and once the supported politician is in office he/she returns the favour somehow. The only difference I can see is, today the people have the choice to vote for one of the corporation puppets aka politicians who will be in charge and screw the common people for a limited time period. Concerning the 100% surveillance I think we are not far away from that either. Just look at the rights the secret services have concerning gathering data about people. Over your smart phone your location is traceable. Your internet activity can also be traced back. The only problem there is at the moment, that the computer power is not sufficient to do it simultaneously for all people, but sooner or later they will get there. So these connections between our present time and the possible future, is another reason, what makes it fun to me to watch this show.
The actors are doing a good job, the pace and the action is really good, the CGI is good for a TV show and makes the scenes which are taking place in the future believable. So, it is the whole package what makes this show fun to watch for me.
12 Monkeys (2015)
Good show!
I must say, I was a bit skeptical about a TV show on basis of a very good Scifi movie. But after I have seen the entire season 1, I'm glad I gave it a chance. I think the show took the idea of the movie and made something new and interesting of it.
A show or movie involving time travel is not easy to handle. It can become very confusing for the viewer and he/she can lose track of the story. But 12 Monkeys does a good job of keeping the time lines understandable. It also manages to keep the overlapping time actions consistent (in most of the cases). An interesting part of the story is also that they don't try to avoid the time paradox, but use it as part of the plot. I think, this is a refreshing aspect in a show involving time travel.
The cast is good, the writers are good and I think all of them are doing a good job. Though there were a few things, which were at first a little irritating if you compare it with the movie. For example James Cole not being overwhelmed by how different 2015 is compared to 2043. On the other hand the year 2043 in the show is not the same like the future in the movie, where people live underground, James Cole is a convict, etc. If you consider this, then it all makes sense. So, once you let go of the original movie and judge the show separately, you really can enjoy it. The character development, the action, the twists, etc. keeps it interesting and I can't wait to see season 2.
The Flash: Fast Enough (2015)
Sorry, didn't float my boat.
Well, I actually didn't want to watch "The Flash" anymore and skipped episode 22. Just out of curiosity how all the mystery around Wells/Thawne and the Flash is resolved I tuned in for the season finale. Was it worth to watch? In a word: NO! It started OK. The conversation between Wells and Barry was quite cool actually and Wells's offer to give Barry the opportunity to save his mother by going back to the past was interesting. Barry's dilemma of changing the timeline by going back and saving his mother and losing everything he gained and achieved in the alternate (actual) timeline was promising. But the problem with time travelling stories is, they can become very illogical and inconsistent. And that is exactly what happened in this finale. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge SciFi fan and I like the idea of time travelling and if the story is carried out in a movie properly, they really can be fun. A few examples where it worked nicely are "Back to the Future", "Terminator", "Twelve Monkeys", or "Donnie Darko" (okay, this one is not really about time travelling, but more about an alternate timeline, but I liked it).
So, what was wrong in this finale then? In my opinion the following issues made the plot less enjoyable for me:
1. Alternate Timeline-Flash goes back in time to the event when his mother was killed and then has a non-verbal communication with Future-Flash which prevents him to save his mother. Well, as I said time travel stories are difficult to handle, because of all this time paradox thing going on, but how this twist was handled doesn't work for me. The issue I have with it is: How does Future-Flash know that Alternate Timeline-Flash is there to rescue his mother? I mean, the alternate timeline hasn't been created yet, because the event, which caused the alternate timeline hasn't taken place yet. Hence, as far as I can see, there is no way Future-Flash would know why Alternate Timeline-Flash appears and what his intention is.
2. Alternate Timeline-Flash comes back to his timeline, destroys Thawne's/Reverse Flash's "time machine", is beaten by mad Reverse Flash who proclaims to kill everybody Alternate Timeline-Flash cares about. Eddie Thawne wants to become a hero and shoots himself to save everyone. Oh boy, I don't even know where to start and what to say to that.
3. With the death of Eddie Thawne the Reverse Flash (Eobard Thawne) is erased of existence and this causes a singularity which will destroy the earth. Well, this is not illogical, but the problem I have here is, it was never clearly explained how Eddie Thawne and Eobard Thawne are related. If you go down the genealogical tree of the Thawne family is there a direct link between Eddie and Eobard? If not, then it would be very difficult to explain why Eobard Thawne was erased of existence.
One other thing that bothered me was the way how Flash goes back in time: He has to run with the speed Mach 2 (twice as fast as speed of sound) and then collide with a Hydrogen particle to create a wormhole. Okay, just to be clear. I am aware of that this is not a SciFi show, but a comic book adaption. Despite I am aware of this fact, it bothered me.
There were few other things that ticked me off, but I don't think it is necessary to go into any further detail. After this finale I am certain, I won't watch "The Flash" anymore. There are too many plot holes for my taste and this hinders me to enjoy the show. Thank you for reading my last review of this show.
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P.S.: To the user of the review "Season 1 Has Officially Proved the Critics Wrong!" who made a reference to my review:
A review always expresses a personal opinion. I am okay with it, if you don't agree with my opinion and if all the things happened in the show made perfect sense to you. But stop dissing somebody and making assumptions just because he/she has a different opinion than yours. This is just low!
Except for episode 22, I watched the entire season one. I don't know the DC Universe comic books and just watched the show to entertain myself. The problem with the "The Flash" so far was, that to people who doesn't have the background knowledge of the comic books, some things happened in the show didn't make any sense (e.g. inconsistencies in the use of time traveling).
So what clientèle are the writers aiming for then? To viewers who know the comic books and can fill up the gaps/plot holes with their knowledge of the DC Universe comic books or also to viewers who are not familiar with the comic books? My personal view on this matter is, a show must stand for its own and has to make sense to all viewers. That this can work for shows and movies based on comic books hasbeenproven by shows like Arrow, Daredevil, etc. or movies like Iron Man, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Batman Begins etc.
Arrow: My Name Is Oliver Queen (2015)
Very good finale!
Todays episode was very good and gave a good conclusion to all the events happened in the past four episodes. The action was quite good and I liked the fight between Ras and Oliver. Seeing the team working together to stop the bioweapon attack was great and even Ray and Laurel didn't tick me off in this episode.
The development of Thea to replace Roy in the team is good and I am curious where this will lead to in season 4. Malcolm becoming the new Ras al Ghul was a little illogical twist,though. I mean, Oliver was introduced to be successor and he was the one who killed Ras. Nyssa being Olivers wife and knowing the truth, how can Malcolm be the successor of Ras? Anyway, this minor flaw didn't hinder me enjoying the finale. I guess, Malcolm is going to be the main villain in season 4 and I am curious what role Nyssa will play in season 4.
What about the explosion at Palmer Industries? I guess, Ray will survive it and get some superpowers. I just hope, he won't stay in the show and be a part of the team.
I know, there are a lot of Olicity fans and haters out there. I am neither, but I think it was OK that Felicity and Oliver are finally together. It is a small conclusion of the development of this relationship, but we also all know, it won't last. The question is, how this relationship will end. I have some ideas, but all would be sheer speculation and that doesn't belong into an episode review.
Arrow: This Is Your Sword (2015)
A good episode.
Well, I think this episode was solid. There were no major flaws in it, though the revelation of Oliver joining the league being a charade seemed to me a bit rushed. Anyway it was just a minor flaw and didn't have much of a negative "aftertaste". The suspicion of Ras about a traitor in the league and believing Tatsu when she said it was Maseo, wasn't very convincing to me. There were a few more small inconsistencies, but they didn't tick me of and despite of them I enjoyed this episode.
Likes: The action was quite good and I liked the sword fight between Maseo and Tatsu. The closure of the Roy-Thea romance was good and it gave us a glimpse into the character development of Thea in season 4, I guess. It would be great to replace Black Canary with Thea as new Arsenal in Team Arrow. Hope dies last, right?
Dislikes: Were there any dislikes? Yes, the usual. Black Canary was as usual annoying. I have to say, it is overdue to get rid of her, but I have doubts it will happen soon. Ray was back in this episode. Fortunately he didn't have much screen time.
After this episode I am curious how the season finale will be and what direction it will reveal for season 4.
The Flash: Grodd Lives (2015)
Iris is annoying!
Sorry, but this episode had too much Iris in it. This self-righteous I-am-mad-at-everyone-for-not-telling-me-the-truth and You-are-not-allowed-to-keep-secrets-from-me attitude really ticked me off. As I was afraid of, the writers are giving this character more attention now and trying some kind of character development, but as I said in my review for #1.20, I don't like it. Hence, that was it for me. The Flash is over for me. I won't watch it anymore.
Except for this "Iris annoyance" this episode wasn't bad. I liked how GRODD was handled. He wasn't showed in the beginning and tension built up slowly. When he was revealed he was menacing and intimidating. I liked the interaction between Eddie and Wells and how Wells told him, that he is "the black sheep" of the Thawnes. Wells was quite mean to Eddie and actually I am curious how this will effect Eddie and the information he got about Iris. Just for that I might change my mind and watch the last episodes ;-). To me Eddie is the second most annoying character.
The Flash: The Trap (2015)
Overall a good episode.
After the weak episodes last week and the week before, this one was quite good. Not too many distracting sidetracks, just focussing on Harrison Wells and how to reveal his true identity and to get a confession from him for the murder of Barry's mother. The acting was quite alright, except for a few scenes. I am not sure if it is the writers or Grant Gustin, but sometimes I have the impression that the nerdiness and bafflement of the Barry character is exaggerated. In my point of view a little more character development in this regard should take place.
Were there any logical flaws in this episode? Well, actually I can think of one. In the scene when Harrison Wells talks to Cisco in the bunker and approaches him with his hand raised to kill him, his hand doesn't vibrate as it did in Ciscos dream. Hence, to a smart guy like Cisco, this could have been an indicator that something is not right. But let's just say it was the "heat of the moment" and Cisco didn't notice that.
Another flaw was the usual on and off relationship between Iris and Barry. As I said in my review for S01E19, the Iris character is expendable. Her contribution to the show so far was minimal. After this episode I am afraid to say, she won't be out of the show soon. I am not sure where the writers are going with the relationship and with the character, but whatever direction it is, I won't like it.
Arrow: The Fallen (2015)
Episode content was quite predictable.
What happened in this episode was quite predictable. It was pretty clear that Oliver will give in to Ras demand to save Thea. Anything else would have been a contradiction to his actions in the past episodes. The end of Rays and Felicitys romance was also no surprise since there were indications for that in previous episodes. And I am pretty happy about this development, because I don't like the Ray character. I hope this was the last of him in Arrow and he is gone for good.
Was it a surprise Felicity sleeping with Oliver? To me a little bit actually. I didn't expect it to happen in this episode, but more in the season finale. Maybe it had to be in this episode, because the writers have something bad in store for the Felicity character in the season finale.
The Flash: Who Is Harrison Wells? (2015)
Better than the last episode, but...
Well, this episode was much better than the last one, but don't get me wrong, it was far from being really good.
Likes: I liked the struggle of Caitlin with being disloyal to her mentor and boss Harrison Wells and how it was resolved by finding out a part of the truth about Harrison Wells. A shape shifter as a villain was OK, though the idea of shape-shifters is not so original anymore since it was used in other shows quite often (e.g. Supernatural). The cross-over between Arrow and The Flash worked and seeing Quentin Lance not acting like a douche as he did in the last Arrow episodes was refreshing.
Dislikes: Iris still being a bitch. To be honest, I don't like the Iris character at all and I think she is expendable. Anyway, she wasn't the biggest dislike in this episode. Two scenes which really ticked me off were, when the shape-shifter came to Barry's place and looked like Eddie and he fell for it. Come on, this was really lame. Especially if you consider Barry was talking on the phone to Iris about Eddie and everything happened a scene before. This was really a lack of logic and consistency. And the other scene was the final confrontation, when the shape-shifter became Caitlin and Flash hesitated. Not very convincing to me. Sorry, but sometimes the writers let Barry act like an idiot. He supposed to be a smart guy, right?
Arrow: Broken Arrow (2015)
Ray Palmer is simply annoying
Well, all in all I liked this episode of Arrow and all this "you-have-to-learn-let-people-help-you"-thing going on. A meta-human as a villain was okay, but to me his motivation being in Starling City was totally unclear.
The twist with Roy's death was a good one. And making the team a bit smaller again won't hurt either I guess. Ras "killing" Thea was a good cliffhanger. Maybe the team will get even smaller, but I doubt it.
Concerning Ray, I simply don't like this character. Eversince they introduced him to the show, he goes on my nerves. Well, I understand they had to do something after the Ollie-Felicity romance was cut off, but I'm not sure if this Ray character is a good replacement for that. I hope he'll be out of the show soon. There were a few indications for it.