So my girlfriend went to go see “Warm Bodies” the other night. I’ll be honest, I was a little worried about this one. This seemed like a quick cash-in on the whole zombie franchise “The Walking Dead” (forgive me for this pun) brought back to life. Even worse of an offense, it’s a love story between a human girl and a supernatural creature. Sounds a little too familiar, no? But I left the theater pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t a parody of anything, and it didn’t make any references to others of its kind. It was its own, original creation and it was bold (and good) for doing so. They even made their own zombie lore, breaking away from the precious formula Romero practically set in stone.

The plot of the story focuses around a zombie who calls himself R. R explains that the zombies only want to feed on humans because eating their brains allows them to feel emotions, like they’re alive again. The story is about how R tries to act like a human once again after eating some brains and seeing Julie, the aforementioned human lead, while under the effects the brain produces in zombies.

Also worth mentioning is the soundtrack. It focuses highly on older music, 80’s and older. I am assuming this is to indicate that the outbreak occurred sometime in the late 90’s, but that works for me. I think of it as a nice tribute to the bands that most people of this generation may have completely forgotten, and find it a welcome change to having something like a famous pop star singer developing a song just for the movie’s soundtrack.

Like I said, I had my suspicions. And I would believe that all the die-hard Romero fans would argue that this derives a little too far away from the pre-established lore about zombies, but take the movie for what it’s worth. At least it tried, and I think it did pretty good. Personally, I am willing to applaud anything that comes out of Hollywood that is a ‘tribute’ remake of a classic, or a sequel to something that came out over ten years ago. It is, however, based off a book by Isaac Marion, according to IMDB. Regardless, new ideas should be applauded, and I think Warm Bodies is definitely worth a trip to the theaters.

I have played the entirety of the Assassin’s Creed series and am a fan of the franchise.  I also feel that I cannot promise there will not be any spoilers in this article if you do not know the story from the previous games; a fair warning, if you wish to avoid them, just know this game is worth the money to buy it, even at the starting price of $60.

In Assassin’s Creed 3, players play primarily as Ratonhnhakéton, Mohawk native turned assassin; He later takes the name of Connor, so no worries about pronunciation.  The setting of the game is around the Revolutionary War from the years of 1753-1783, where you are tasked with both trying to repel the British and stop the Templars from establishing a firm hold in the colonies.  The game took me about a week to get through to the end credits, and I will be going back to complete the remaining side quests along with, to my delight, the epilogue main quests that appeared after the credits were finished rolling.

With gameplay, I was thrilled that free running was improved, making it harder to fall off of buildings, and tree running was one of my favorite additions; I didn’t care that it was sometimes a slower way of getting across the map, as it was simply fun to run through the complex system of trees.  In combat, the hidden blade has remained a key feature of your arsenal along with a pistol, sword and hatchet.  While these are all good selling points and I cannot list all I loved with it, I must admit that there were some draw backs with the system.  Instead of listing what each button was able to do, the game now shows how to counter, “break defense,” what your main weapon is, and what your secondary weapon is.  No longer is it possible to see what each button is able to do, like what happens when you counter and press square (X on X-box); though not largely consequential after you understood what each button accomplished,  it did make things harder at the beginning.

The absolute best part of the entire game was the naval warfare.  Anyone who has played the previous games has assassinated people before, but being able to navigate a ship and desecrate entire armadas is an entirely new experience.  The steering of the ship is easy, and if somehow you get tired of cannon fire, you can just ram a ship in order to sink it.  The naval battles made an amazing game all the better.

An annoyance I had was with the mini-map; at times, the map showed there were guards in an area when there were none, or I would pilot my ship in one direction and narrowly miss the rocks that were nowhere on my map.  I was able to play around it, but it made things harder.

As I have been having problems with the campus Wi-Fi connecting to my PS3, I have not had very much experience with the multiplayer aspect of the game.  From what I have seen, it is a constant stealth mission, where you hunt around a smaller version of an area that is visited in the campaign for your assassination target, which is another player, while also trying to not be killed by the one hunting you.  Of what I have experienced, it has great potential and could be amazing if there are enough people to play online with.

*SPOILER* I will not tell what happens at the end of the game; that is not only spoiling, but disgracing such a marvelous game.  I will say, however, that I would not be surprised if this is the last game, nor would I be surprised if there are more; the ending for the game was that decently done.  I will say, however, that Desmond will be missed.

Though the mini map was flawed and there were some glitches during my play through, this game still is a proud addition to the franchise.  If you are looking for a game to buy and enjoy during your free time this break or next semester, Assassin’s Creed 3 is the game for you.  It earns 9.6 out of 10, making it one of the best games I have ever played.

Halloween is in the air, and everyone is out to catch a scare or two. The majority of these scares are derived from the dark rooms of movie theatres. In the past, there have been numerous high-dollar film releases that have raked in thousands of eager fans: Saw 3D in 2010, Scream 4 in 2011, and now, Sinister. Directed by Scott Derrickson, a famed horror slash suspense film writer and producer, Sinister claims the authority of Ethan Hawke as its protagonist. Together, Derrickson and Hawke create a Halloween scare that will last.

The film starts out sinister enough, shoving the super-8 footage of a family being executed by hanging directly into viewers’ faces. The footage is eerie and disturbing, and in all honesty, not the way you would expect a Halloween horror flick to start. Still, it does tend to antagonize the curiosity of viewers, inviting them further into the subplot. The plotline does not truly kick off, however, until the film’s protagonist, Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke), a crime-reporting journalist, and his family move onto the estate where the mass murder had occurred. Shortly after unpacking the moving truck, Oswalt discovers a box full of Super-8 cassettes in his attic. And then it all begins. Oswalt finds that each of the cassettes has a specific name. They all have the seemingly cool and fun nature of a family’s day out. “Pool Party ‘66”, “BBQ ‘79”, “Family Hanging Out ‘11”…it all sounds innocent, right? Trust me. It is not. Oswalt’s curiosity gets the better of him, and he begins watching the films. It all starts out fine and dandy, but it goes sour, very quickly. The films suddenly clip to new scenes, revealing darker tones. A family being drowned in their swimming pool, another being burned alive in a car, and then the family being hung in their back yard…and those are only naming three of the cassettes…there are two others. Oswalt is as terrified by these images as the viewers are. It gets really gruesome at this point, as the murder sequences are brutal and violent. But he’s a journalist…and journalists don’t seem to know when to quit. So, he begins researching the murders.

After numerous late nights of researching, Oswalt discovers a series of drawings. All drawing indicate the presence of a “Mr.Boogie”, and Oswalt discovers a strange figure that is present in all of the footages – a very disturbing figure. This figure turns out to be a demonic entity that feeds on the souls of children. Known as Bughuul, it inhabits images and videos until it is given freedom to enter reality. Oswalt gives Bughuul the portal to reality by watching the footage. It quickly gets worse for Oswalt and family. Oswalt’s son begins having nightmares, and his daughter starts painting disturbing images on the walls. The house quickly turns into a creepy, entity-filled domain, eventually leading to Oswalt’s decision to depart the house. However, the evil is not necessarily connected to the house, and it follows Oswalt and his family to their original home. There, evil triumphs. Bughuul, or Mr. Boogie, possesses Oswalt’s daughter, who then drugs Oswalt and family before disturbingly hacking them to bits with an axe. What a way to end a movie, right?

Now that the plot and spoilers have been provided, it is time to examine the overall review of Sinister.

Sinister is a patchwork movie. It is created from the basic structure of numerous others. In this case, it is laughably obvious. If Paranormal Activity and Insidious had a baby, it would be Sinister. This mixture of themes and copycat style make the movie extremely predictable. Even the jump scenes are predictable (for the most part). From the moment that Oswalt discovers the murder scenes, it becomes far too easy to predict the outcome of the film. Everyone in the theatre knew that Oswalt and his family were going to meet a similar fate.

Another flaw, at least in my opinion, is the overall violence and gore within the film. Sure, it’s a Halloween movie, and it is expected to be scary, I get that. I can even understand the idea that is represented – that serial murders are taking place. But does that mean you have to show it in such a point blank format? For example, while Oswalt is watching one of the super-8 cassettes entitled “Lawn Work ‘86”, there is a ghastly jump scene in which an individual’s head is run over with a lawnmower. And in another video, a young family has their throats cruelly slashed open while they are in bed. Yes, I get it…its Halloween. I know that it’s meant to be a dark, grisly, and creepy film. I just personally feel that they overdid the violence. It is as simple as that.

With all of that being said, and the movie’s plot and spoilers dropped before you, along with the film’s review, it is now completely up to you. You have my opinion, but that doesn’t make or break the case. If you are in a Halloween mood and want to see a terrifying, super creepy thriller, then Sinister is the right movie for you. For those faint of heart or weak in stomach, however, I strongly recommend picking something else to watch.

Less than a month ago, Universal Studios released its fourth film of the Bourne Series. Entitled The Bourne Legacy, the movie uses a chip off Jason Bourne’s storyline to build a new account of Treadstone and its top-secret assassin’s guild. Jeremy Renner plays Aaron Cross, a genetically enhanced agent slash assassin who finds himself in a very similar boat as Bourne, as he too is forced to flee from his own employers. But this is not all about the new movie. This is about the entire series, and whether or not we will see a fifth film at some point in the future.

We all know who Jason Bourne is. He’s a master assassin. He speaks numerous languages fluently, is a fearsome martial artist, has highly trained powers of observation and memory, and knows all the tricks when it comes to being a spy. After digging a bit deeper, we then find that his entire functionality is based within a top-secret government operation known as Treadstone. Inside this covert system, agents are developed into almost super powered operatives, mostly through intensive training, but in some cases, through genetic enhancements, as in the case of Aaron Cross. However, there are negative physical effects. The rigorous and experimental training program that Treadstone uses on its operatives is recorded to cause physical problems in agents. The most common issue experienced by agents is a chronic headache, but that is by no means the worst. The most striking effect is amnesia, and it was only experienced once - by Jason Bourne. Throughout the films it is left mostly unclear as to what legitimately caused the amnesia, although Bourne’s training is referenced numerous times in conjunction.

And that is where the first movie, The Bourne Identity, starts us at. Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) awakens on a European boat with no memory. His case of amnesia goes as far as leaving him without knowledge of his name or his past, but he knows how to do everything else, and as he later discovers, he can beat the living daylights out of anyone. But the story isn’t as simple. Director Paul Greengrass does an exemplary job of showing that a rogue assassin doesn’t merely walk across Europe without an identity, and get away with it. The Treadstone agency is on Bourne’s heels at every step, and this makes for several high-intensity chase and fight sequences. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget about Marie (played by Franka Potente), the girl who unknowingly gets pulled into the whole shebang. Marie’s character allows Damon the source through which he can completely let out his skills as an actor, such as his superb ability to merge the physical with the emotional. For example, the scene in which he dyes and cuts Marie's hair. It is incredibly intimate, made even more potent by the near silence of the scene. Its purpose is to insert that glimmer, the representation that Bourne is not an entirely heartless killer. And Damon plays it perfectly.

In the second round, referred to as The Bourne Supremacy, confusion abounds. Treadstone is dead, but its memory still haunts Jason Bourne (Damon). He has done his utmost to leave the past behind and move on in solidarity. Now living with his girlfriend, Marie, in a remote portion of India, Bourne believes he has finally shaken the long arm of Treadstone, once and for all. But we all know that life never lets its victims off that easy. We find out at a very early point in the film that the big names behind Treadstone are out to deal the fatal blow to Bourne, thereby accomplishing their revenge. Their plan only works halfway. In the process of trying to take out Bourne, they accidently kill Marie. This, as we all know, only serves to make Bourne angrier, a detail that is inevitably very bad for Treadstone’s remnants. Bourne uses the loss of his love as a way to raise the bar by which he fights. For example, before this movie, 99% of the world’s population had no conception of using a rolled-up magazine as a dangerous weapon. The movie also does a remarkable job understanding the limits of Bourne’s abilities.  It gives Bourne scenes where he’s completely in control of the situation and gets to be a total boss. Greengrass, however, understands that Bourne has to have a weakness. He pits Bourne against increasingly dangerous odds, causing us to doubt Bourne’s skills more and more. This blend of skill and vulnerability comes together in the movie’s final car chase where Bourne has serious maneuvering skills, all the while frantically trying to get away from both the cops and another master assassin.  Every bruising he takes, we begin to feel it as well.

Greengrass doesn’t just end the second round on a high of violence and conflict, however. He decides that Bourne should be presented his full humanity in this film. In all honesty, I find it to be a deep breath of fresh air. Anyway, in essence, Bourne tracks down the daughter of two of his victims (back from when he was still an operating assassin) and amidst a heavy heart and tear-filled statements, admits his guilt as the killer, and apologizes to her for his past deeds. His reward is bittersweet. He is informed of his true identity, leaving him with the realization that he no longer has to live out his life as Jason Bourne – that he can finally take a step forward and move on.

And then there was The Bourne Ultimatum. This one starts out on a bit of a darker note, crashing any high hopes that we had from Supremacy. Bourne’s investigation into Treadstone’s dark past builds up into a disastrous fireball when he finds himself in the crosshairs of “Blackbriar”, a black-ops task force lead by a self-satisfied Noah Vosen, who doesn’t have to worry about any red tape.  He’s free to use assassins to pick off anyone who might compromise his program, and he does just that. He has hit men take out investigative journalist Simon Ross and later has the CIA Station Chief in Madrid bumped off – not exactly fair play. Bourne is literally standing right there when both Ross and Daniels are assassinated, but he’s helpless to stop either.  Once again, Greengrass finds a ballast to Bourne’s near-superhuman abilities.  Bourne may be the ultimate tactician and field operative, but he doesn’t have the necessary resources, and even more important, he doesn’t have access to surveillance tools.  It’s the ideal cat-and-mouse game: Bourne, an expert at misdirection, versus an organization that can see everything.  Bourne’s inability to protect Marie (who was killed in Supremacy), Ross, and then Daniels, picks at the sensitive point that the super-spy excels at self-preservation, but doesn’t have the power to protect others.  Even when he does manage to save someone, for example, when he saves Nicky (Julia Stiles), Bourne endures a motorcycle chase, a foot pursuit, a rooftop run, and a brutal exchange of blows.

In Supremacy, the pursuit of truth was a righteous task.  Ultimatum shows that sometimes the truth isn’t always a redemptive ray of sunshine.  Bourne discovers he wasn’t obligated to join the Treadstone program.  He volunteered. He wanted to be part of something big. To save American lives. He agreed to do dirty work for the government, without questions or doubts.  It is all ironic when Bourne remembers his first test. He was told to shoot a restrained, hooded figure in a corner, whimpering and shaking.  The moment David Webb shot that hooded figure, he became Jason Bourne.  That’s what it took “to save American lives.”

In all reality, The Bourne Ultimatum was supposed to be the end of the Bourne series. But Universal didn't want to kill off its most profitable series and wanted to make another one. Unfortunately, Paul Greengrass, who directed the last two Bourne films, didn't want to do it, and Matt Damon refused to do anything without Greengrass, leaving Universal with quite the situation. So after months of debating whether or not to get a different actor to play Bourne’s part (following the James Bond formula), they decided to introduce a new character with a parallel storyline who's involved in the same super-spy program that created Bourne, even though Bourne himself wouldn't appear in the movie.

And thus, The Bourne Legacy was created. Following a slightly different sequence, Legacy introduces a subunit of Blackbriar referenced as “The Program”. The Program is a secret U.S. intelligence project that was designed specifically to modify the human genome, producing men with incredible physical and mental agility,, unlike Bourne, who was developed with raw skill. Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) is one of these “enhanced” agents. He is just as good at fighting, if not better than Bourne, and he has a whole new set of skills. In fact, there’s this one part where he manages to shoot down a military drone with a sniper rifle…I call that impressive. Cross spends much of the movie in search of two different medications. The drugs are pretty much a virus that alters genes. You can take booster pills from time to time, or with a new vaccine, you can be "locked in," which is what Cross seeks. He has become accustomed to possessing incredible muscle and mind power, and without the medication or vaccine, he will literally have mental breakdown, leaving his brain as little more than a jello. This plotting may seem clear-cut, but don’t forget that we are talking about a Bourne film. The film’s only true weakness is that, by plunging us right in the middle of a fast-moving story, Legacy is formidably hard to follow, especially early on. But once you catch up to what is going on, there’s no issues keeping up, and it just keeps getting better!

As the new film takes place in tandem with the events of the original trilogy, there has been a suggestion that Matt Damon could yet return for another outing, perhaps even bringing Damon and Renner together for a final, explosive film. It's a possibility that excites Renner as much as it does the fans. "As far as the future," began the star, "I'm excited that the architects and the creators behind this whole thing have cleverly left it wide open for fans like myself to wonder what's going to go on next."

However, Damon did not do very much to encourage these rumors. Reporters caught up to Damon at a Comic Con 2012 dinner party and questioned his thoughts concerning these rumors. "I'd really love to do another one because I love the character,” Damon commented, “but it's a real struggle to extend the franchise. Bourne's search to find his identity is done, so, where do you go next?"

That being said, the future of The Bourne franchise really is up in the air. Whether or not a fifth film will be delivered to fans is extremely hard to tell at this time. If a new movie is decided on, it would no doubt be set for release somewhere around 2015 or possibly even later. And what if Damon still refuses to do another without Greengrass at the helm? Who knows…maybe a whole new world has been opened up through the creation of Aaron Cross and Legacy.

It all started in the year 2005. A team of Hollywood superstars led by the gifted director Christopher Nolan formulated a plan to bring a DC Universe superhero to life. His name, was Batman. Of course, there had been previous renditions of the man behind the black cape and cowl, some of them appealing strikes for the time period of their creation. But that did not stop Nolan and team. They wanted a brand, spanking new Batman – one that could be portrayed opposite of an unstoppable, super-powered justice enforcer with a gadget belt of infinity. Nolan wanted to reveal Batman’s humanity. And so he did!

So, as pointed out in the introduction, the year 2005 marked a new beginning for the superhero film genre. Batman Begins, the first film in the Dark Knight trilogy, was released into the public. Nolan’s side of the masked vigilante, coupled with Christian Bale’s marvelous performance, won the hearts of Batman fans around the world, forever changing the way we view him. I, for one, can no longer watch original Batman films such as Batman and Robin (1997) and the Tim Burton Batman (1989), whilst maintaining a straight face. I kid you not, the early comic book-to-film interpretations of Batman are now merely laughable historical remnants of a new generation superhero. So, in plain words, Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan have given us a version of Batman that can and never will be outdone.

In 2008, Bale and Nolan once again took center stage, rocking the box office to a new extreme with The Dark Knight. In the second film, Batman is forced to choose between his two identities, tearing at his human side even more. The Dark Knight showed that a comic book movie could be not only big, but epic. That it could considerately connect major themes and concerns in society even as it provides a thoroughly gratifying entertainment experience and that it could even grow to be one of the most popular films in the history of Hollywood. It was in this film that I found myself hopelessly entrapped within the plotlines of the trilogy. Never before in the history of the Hollywood superhero, had the protagonist been so viciously, so pitilessly torn to shreds and left tattered and beaten. The plotlines, the script, the cinematic perspective – it tugged ever so emotively at my heartstrings. My attraction to the base of Nolan’s second film caused me to realize that Batman had changed again. Now referred to as “The Dark Knight”, Bale’s character became both the weakest hero and the strongest individual, all in the same motion.

And now to jump ahead a little bit. Just as we were all there when Batman morphed into the Dark Knight, so we were when the Dark Knight rose from the shadows. In fact, I was in the middle of a pitch black theatre when the beloved superhero made his triumphant return. But before I continue any further, there is just one thing. I am assuming that the majority of you have seen “The Dark Knight Rises”, so it’s safe to discuss this… but for those that have not seen the film, I highly recommend turning the page, right now! There are a few major spoilers coming up. However, if you admit to not seeing the film but continue to read anyway, do not take it out on me! I warned you!

Okay, let’s get started! For those of you who have seen the movie, you no doubt caught the brisk, epic breeze that swept through the theatres. Within that breeze resounded the noise of a fist thudding against a jawbone. The punch is what the film delivers, and the now broken jawbone is of every other superhero movie (except for The Avengers!) getting its goose well and truly smashed. You might have felt the same way as me when the Batwing was consumed by the bomb blast over the ocean. You know, that sinking sensation in the pit of the stomach, the shadow of melancholy looming overhead, leading you to repeatedly tell yourself that “Batman can’t be dead! He just can’t be!” That is exactly how I felt. Then there was the excitement when we found Bruce Wayne alive and kicking on the other side of the ocean. But standing out from all of the others was that last scene where Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character, now known as “Robin” enters the Batcave. Fans across the board seemed to split right down the seam on the actual meaning of the scene. Was it supposed to set up a new Batman movie, or was it merely Nolan’s way of reiterating the movie’s disguised point, that anyone can be the symbol? Moreover, was that final scene intended to provide a future glimpse of Gordon-Levitt donning of Robin’s cowl?

And that brings us to our final topic. We have already discussed our relationship with the three Batman films, and the way that Nolan and Bale have forever ingrained the idea of a very human superhero within our minds. That being said, I believe that I’ll be speaking for us all when I ask: “Will there be a fourth Batman film?” The answer may not be what we want to hear.

Two weeks prior to the release of The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan openly announced that regardless of the film’s outcome, he would NOT be returning to the director’s chair. Well, without Nolan, we all know that even if a new film was made, it would lack the energy, allure, and realism that Nolan brought to the board. To make matters even worse, Christian Bale, on the very same day, announced that if Nolan steps down, he would as well. And for me, that was it. As heart-breaking as it was to realize that this was the end of the line for Batman and his movies, I would rather it all end right here, right now, than to see a fourth movie with a different actor standing behind the cowl and cape. It just would not be the same.

However, fans of Batman across America, as well as around the world, have joined together with a united voice. What do they want? If your guess was something along the lines of ‘a new Batman film’, you hit the nail on the head. And Hollywood responded. Last Saturday, Christian Bale attended a press conference on MTV, and revealed some interesting news. Once again, Bale reiterated that he would not be reprising his role as the caped crusader, and once again we all hung our heads in disappointment. Nevertheless, Bale added in a few words of encouragement, telling MTV reporters that he is “curious to see how the team will unravel the story of Robin”, and that “the back story could open up a whole new perspective on the man in the batsuit”.

Does this mean that there will be more Batman movies? Unfortunately, I for one cannot supply you with a definite yes or no answer. I can only leave you with my opinion – I personally do not believe that they will, and in all reality, do not believe that they should. They ended the trilogy on a perfect note, completely and totally epic. Also, let’s take a hypothetical leap. Let’s say that in four year’s time, they do make a fourth film. Without Nolan directing the motions, the film would (as I mentioned earlier) lack the impact and touch that was evident in the present three films. Even if they left Bruce Wayne out of the picture, continuing forth with Robin alone, how would they account for a completely new story? It would leave too much to chance.

So with that being said, I will leave you to your own thoughts. Do you think there will be a fourth film in The Dark Knight Series? Why or why not do you want to see another one?

“Respect my authority.”

“Oh my God! They killed Kenny!”

Next week, the first episode second half of season 16 of South Park will air.  You can guarantee that I will be squealing like a fangirl.  My favorite 4^th graders will be back for a brand new episodes and more mischief.  Since April 25 (the day the midseason finale aired), I have been contemplating what will happen next.

History was made in 2008.  The first Black president of the United States was elected president.  South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker predicted the outcome of the election.   Well, they at least hoped they were correct.  South Park airs on Wednesday night.  The Presidential Election Day fell on a Wednesday four years ago.   Stone and Parker decided to make an episode of South Park based on Obama becoming president.  They worked on the episode for eight days, and made the episode open enough for them to make sudden, last minute changes in case McCain did win the election.  However, their prediction came true.  Obama became president and the episode of South Park aired mere hours after the new president was announced.

Since the beginning, South Park has taken pop culture and current events and reconstructed them tie in with the show’s characters.  Despite popular belief, I don’t have magical powers.  I can’t look into the future to see what big events will take America and the world by storm.  When the first half of season 16 aired earlier this year, school bullying was a big thing.  Internet memes became even more popular.   A girl contracted a flesh-eating disease after a ziplining accident.  South Park had episodes relating to all of these things.  That being said, the ziplining episode premiered a couple of weeks before the girl’s incident.   Stone and Parker must be the ones with future sight.

The only major events I know that will be happening during the second half of the season are Halloween and another Presidential Election Day.  Stone and Parker have not had a Halloween episode in quite a few seasons (season 10, to be exact).  Last year, they made an amazing mash-up of Thanksgiving and the History Channel’s love of aliens.  I hope they’ll have something extra special for Halloween this half-season.

The last episode of the half season airs on Nov 7, the day after Presidential Election Day.  Generally, Stone and Parker end the half season a week later.  I can almost guarantee that the guys will have a special episode focused on some hijinks the president (whether it be Obama or Romney, or if both will have a role in the episode) will put the boys through.

Besides Halloween and Presidential Election Day, I want this half-season to focus more on secondary characters.  The midseason finale focused on South Park’s only Black boy, Token Black, finding love with the new girl (who also happens to be Black), Nichole.  Of course, Cartman is a manipulative ass in the episode, and Kyle plays a part in the episode.  I hope that my favorite secondary characters, Craig and Tweek, will get more screen time like Token did with the midseason finale.  The girls at South Park Elementary haven’t been featured in a while either.  It’ll be great to give Bebe, Wendy, and even Nichole more screen time in at least one episode.

Besides things to come, I bet Stone and Parker make at least one superhero episode.  This summer, comic book fans and moviegoers had three big blockbusters.  We saw the end of Nolan’s Dark Knight series; the beginning of a new Spiderman chapter; and the first major, big screen conglomeration of blockbuster superheroes The Avengers.  DC and Marvel fanboys and girls can agree that it has been an amazing year for comic-based movies.   Stone and Parker will probably cash in on this.  I don’t know of a single person who did not like the superhero storylines that introduced The Coon (Cartman) and Mysterion (Kenny).   I’ll be surprised and more than a little disappointed if there isn’t an episode where Mysterion makes an appearance.

While I’m on the topic of Kenny, I want at least one episode where audiences see Kenny’s face.   Kenny has been getting more and more face time in recent seasons, but he hasn’t spoken clearly without his face covered since The Jeffersons (season 8).   Even if he has one unmuffled line, this fangirl will be more than happy.

The new episodes of South Park will begin airing on Wednesday Sept 26 at 9 pm until Wednesday Nov 7.  Reruns will also play periodically throughout the week.  Let’s keep up with this new half-season, and see if my predictions are correct or completely off base.