SpoilerTV's Weekly Round Table: 73rd Edition

Hello and welcome to a new edition of SpoilerTV`s Weekly Round Table. Joining me this week is Milo, Jamie Coudeville, Kollin Lore (KL), Abi Baker (AK), Zandarl, Beth Whitley (BW), Katherine Meusey, Mads, Giulia Del Buono (GB), Donna Cromeans (DR), Marko Pekic (MK) and me (Yon). You just have to sit back enjoy the read and join the discussion in the comment section down below.

It was announced last week that Iain Glen has been cast in season 2 of Titans as Bruce Wayne. Do you think comic books shows should try to diversify more instead of mostly casting white actors/actresses? And do you see Iain as being the right fit for Bruce Wayne?

MK: I didnt anticipate for Titans to introduce Bruce Wayne. That character seemed always off limits. And while I love Iain I that this was the right opportunity to introduce a diverse Batman. The lack of diversity across both Marvel and DC live action adaptations is disappointing and it seems like they wont ever dare to change that. And while some small moves are made like Deadshot and Black Canary they seem to keep up the same mentallity regards of diversity.

Yon: The list of shows on my watch list is far too long to the extent that shows like Titan which I have on it I'm unlikely to ever watch, so from a viewing perspective I don't have any stake in this. From a diversity perspective though I think comic shows should and can do better. Gotham is finishing on Fox soon after 5 years of air and chronicling the early life of Bruce Wayne before he turned into Batman, and considering the limitations placed on the show by the likes of DC? I find another show doing another take on Bruce Wayne to be completely unnecessary unless you're going to do something new and different with him. Yet another white dude in the role isn't anything new or different. As much as I think Iain Glenn is an extremely talented actor, I can't exactly imagine him as Bruce Wayne and when we are trying to encourage Hollywood to be more inclusive and diverse I think a massive opportunity has been missed here.

Milo: Iain Glenn seems like a good choice for an older Bruce, if an unexpected one. Given that they've put more emphasis on Bruce rather than Batman I can see him out of his costume more than in it, but it's cool to get the casting out of the way. That said I would have liked someone like Steven Yeun or Henry Golding to play Batman, but at least on the plus side they're saved for the movie iteration of the character!

Jamie: The answer to the more diversity question is always yes for me. As for Iain Glenn in the role. I've only ever seen him as Jorah on GoT so I have trouble picturing him as Bruce. So I'll have to wait and see, which is usually the case for me when castings are announced.

KL: Meh. I don't think this question about diversity really applies to Ian Glen's casting. There are a lot of non-white, non-male comic book characters out there that are getting their due adaptation. Bruce Wayne is a Caucasian character with a Caucasian actor being cast for Titans, no story there. As for Ian Glenn's fit? Yes, I think he is a great fit. He has that ruggedness and edge and gravitas about him, as we had seen in GoT, that I think will make for a very compelling older Dark Knight.

AK:I think Titans has already made some steps when it's come to diversity in casting when they cast Anna Diop and Chella Man in roles that some fans have traditionally considered to be white so I'm not that fussed about another white man being cast as Batman. I think Iain is definitely going to be a different type of Batman so I'm interested in seeing what he does with the role.

Mads: The answer to more diversity is always yes in my opinion. That said, Iain seems a decent enough pick for Bruce Wayne.

It's April which of course means two juggernauts are being released this month - Games of Thrones and Avengers Endgame. If you could only watch one of these though, which one would you pick and why?

MK: Endgame all the way. I mean it is a decade in the making and the Marvel-verse layered its way to this movie with some terrific outings. And there is less incest, that is also a seeling point.

Yon: Let me be one of those cool kids who says they've never watched Game of Thrones and hardly any comic book movies because neither is really my thing.

Milo: The hardest choice. I'd probably take a risk and go with Avengers: Endgame and cross my fingers that George RR Martin will conclude his series so I can at least read how things wrap up!

Jamie: I hate this question. I'm very excited for both. However, if I had to choose I'd go with Avengers: Endgame. It's only been a year since the previous one, so that horrible cliffhanger is a lot fresher plus Captain Marvel got me really hyped up. GoT on the other hand has been 2 years and so many theories have been shared already that I'm worried I'm going to end up being disappointed. Plus I'm already used to not having an ending from the books so this would be similar. Get back to writing, George.

KL: Gosh. Gosh, gosh, gosh. I'm going with Game of Thrones. There is nary a soul who has any idea of how this epic fantasy will end with so many compelling theories being thrown around on the interwebs. Who is Azor Ahai? Who will end up on the Throne? Who will die? Just so many questions.
Whereas with Avengers: Endgame, people have sort of an idea of what will happen by the time the credits roll, but it's more of a question of how it will end. The unpredictability of GoT makes my anticipation a tad bit higher than Avengers.

AK: Avengers Endgame hands down. I know I'm in the smallest minority here but I have absolutely no interest in Game Of Thrones at all.

Zandarl: This may shock some but I haven’t seen GOT and have no desire too. As for Avengers ,being a huge comic book fan that’s the choice hands down . Where as DC has tended to fair better on the small screen . Marvel adaptations have dominated the big screen . Just recently Captain Marvel grossed over a billion! Presales for The Avengers broke more records and cinema sites on release day . I will be sat their after midnight waiting to see how they beat Thanos.

BW: It would be Engame for me for sure. I have been binging the movies as I skipped some and watched them out of order. This was something I always intended to do and with Endgame approaching, I decided now is the time. I knew I loved most of the characters already but watching them like this has definitely gotten me more invested. I am looking forward to this chapter’s conclusion.

Mads: I'm deeply in love with both franchises but I'm not caught up on GoT at the moment so it'd have to be Endgame. I already want to rewatch both all the way through from beginning to end again.

GB: Avengers Endgame. I've tried watching Game Of Thrones, but it's not for me. I understand why it's so popular, why it's been so successful and I respect its fans, but it's not my type of show. Avengers, for me, means a great deal, as a fan of the franchise and as a movie buff in general. Plus, Brie Larson is in it, so I have to support her, because she's amazing and I think she's a great addition to the MCU. And of course. I can't wait to see how the story ends.

DR: I’d watch Avengers Endgame because I am a self-admitted super-hero geek, I just never did get into Game of Thrones.

More renewals were announced this week with Killing Eve's 3rd season confirmed a day after the season 2 premiere albeit with another new showrunner, and Good Girls securing a 3rd season despite less than stellar ratings. Do you think BBC America are jumping the gun renewing Killing Eve so quickly and do you think changing showrunner every year affects the quality of the show? Do you think Good Girls is worthy of being renewed or is Netflix money helping yet another show cross the finish line?

MK: Early renewals are always tricky, a little less tricky for cable and award acknowledged shows. So the Killing Eve renewal isnt a surprise. The shift of showrunner is a bit worrying but wont worry about that at this point, Meanwhile, Good Girls renewal with already shaky numbers is a major gamble. The show quality wise is really good but next year will be a real test for the show.

Yon: Good Girls has an interesting premise to it and the cast are wonderful but considering the ratings, it didn't really have any place getting renewed so yeah! Netflix money is very much talking here. I'm happy for the fans and the crew remaining in work but at some point International distribution deals aren't going to be enough to keep shows going and I can only hope in those cases, appropriate endings are written. As for Killing Eve, I'm glad the show has been renewed because it is fantastic. I've been a fan of Jodie Comer for a number of years and breaking into the International market is completely and utterly deserved and likewise Sandra Oh is a marvelous actress and I couldn't imagine the show without either of them. Having said that though I worry about the show continuing on past its sell by date. Shows like this aren't made to be long running, let alone have showrunners change every season. It might still be early days on season 2 but I've already noticed a change of pace with the writing that doesn't quite sit well with me, and I can only hope things improve as the season progresses.

Milo: Don't think they've been jumping the gun on Killing Eve, it's a hit internationally especially in the UK so I'm hoping audience numbers overseas will boost goodwill towards the series. As for the new showrunner, it's too early to call but I have faith that it'll be a good replacement!

Jamie: I don't watch Good Girls so I can only speak for Killing Eve. I don't think they're jumping the gun. The first season was extremely popular, Sandra even got a Golden Globe. I think it's safe to assume the second season will also do very well. Especially judging by how often the show was trending whenever a promo was released. As for changing the showrunner, I guess every case is different so it's too soon to tell.

KL: Killing Eve is a hit show, and for good reason, and I don't see that changing in its sophomore season, so the renewal is not jumping the gun at all. I think the show will be fine quality wise, despite the change in the showrunner, but we'll see.

AK: I think as long as the writing is strong and they have a suitable plot in place for season 3 of Killing Eve then I'm totally fine with a renewal. The acting is still great but the showrunner changes are definitely a little worrying because the chances of them capturing the magic of what made season 1 work decrease every time someone with a new vision takes the helm. Killing Eve isn't a show with a long life anyway so as long as the showrunner is taking that into account I'm definitely happy for more episodes. Good Girls for me has seen a bit of a sophomore slump in terms of writing. I don't know if it's because they have more episodes or because they're not really going that much bigger with the story but something about it just isn't working as much. The Netflix money paired with delayed viewing figures is absolutely the only reason it was saved but they might not be so lucky next year.

BW: I love Good Girls so that renewal made me immensely happy. But more than that I loved that the article announcing it shown a light on how they took into account delayed viewing. Apparently it has hit highs in that regard and it is high time networks acknowledge that the way people enjoy TV has evolved. All live viewing is on the decline and it is only going to get worse has more and more viewers embrace watching at their leisure. Advertisers may have to embrace this too and find a new way to reach the public in the digital world.

Katherine: Never seen Good Girls, although the premise looks interesting. I like the idea of a new Killing Eve showrunner with each series; I've never heard of it happening intentionally before. Strong writing is a must, but the idea of a new set of eyes looking at the characters and storylines really excites me.

DR: I can only address the Killing Eve portion of this question. No, given the considerable buzz still surrounding this show that’s only grown since it’s Season 2 premiere I believe securing the show and the stars for a third season is a very smart thing for BBC America to do. Changing showrunners this season hasn’t affected the quality of the show in the least, the writing, acting and story telling are as sharp, if not sharper than they were in the first season. That’s primarily because everyone, particularly Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer have gotten to know more about the characters they are portraying and are already giving them so much more depth this season.

Arrow airs its much anticipated birds of prey themed episode this week, with Caity Lotz guest-starring as Katie Cassidy takes centre stage as Black Siren going on a rampage. Do you think this episode is long over-due or too little too late? And if the episode proves successful, do you think The CW should consider a Birds of Prey spin-off with Arrow finishing next season?

MK: The episode was quite good and the interactions between the girls were well written. The Arrowverse has so many stellar female characters that this type of episode should be a rule not the odd exception every 5 seasons. At this point it is a little too late for this type of spin off. The female characters are drained out from the uneven outing. Yet I wouldn`t be opposed for them to get another shot at this maybe next year on Legends or Supergirl.

Yon: Is an episode in a show about the Green Arrow long overdue an episode centered on a version of Laurel Lance where she could actually kick butt the way she was always destined to because it's a show based on the Green Arrow comics and Laurel Lance is a legendary comic character in that sense? The episode was beyond overdue and something fans have been calling for since the first season. The main issue I've had with Arrow is the fact it likes to sometimes pretend to be a comic book show, but have absolutely nothing to do with the comics. Laurel Lance should've been the female lead from the very beginning and the show focus on her journey into becoming the Canary. Instead they decided to go in a completely different direction and wasted Katie Cassidy's acting talents for so long, but that's a complaint I could have about any comic show on The CW which tends to focus far too much on its male characters and leave the females as an afterthought. The general consensus will always be that Felicity Smoak and the focus on her ruined the show. Whilst I think Felicity is a character that has garnered too much attention from the writers and haven't appreciated the way they tried to insert a version of her into the remaining Arrow-verse shows on The CW, I think the issue has always been people in charge of the show not remaining faithful to the source material. The CW already has an abundance of comic shows and with Batwoman a lock-in, I doubt they'll be any room on the roster for a Birds of Prey spin-off and considering the people in charge I wouldn't want it anyway. I would be down for Katie Cassidy moving along to the Batwoman show though because I need more of her and Laurel on my screen. The episode was uneven in places thanks to the writing since they had so much story to tell in such a limited amount of time, but what can never be in doubt is Katie's a terrific actress who can make gold out of anything.

Jamie: I didn't even know the next episode was going to be a Black Siren focused episode, that's how closely I'm following things for Arrow. While I do enjoy the character, I get the feeling that the writers don't really know what to do with her. So yeah, she may shine on a show of her own, but honestly the idea of another DC show doesn't excite me that much. But, if there was ever a spin off, I'd rather it be without Sara since like her too much on Legends.

KL: Yikes, I'm not too sure about a Birds of Prey spin-off so soon with the movies kicking off. Every Arrow-verse show (Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, LoT) may have characters being adapted within movies like Flash, but none of them has their own movies going on during their current CW run, and I think it should stay that way.

AK: I don't think The CW could put a Bird Of Prey show into development with so many DC shows already on their slate and the movie coming out. They're losing Arrow but they'll probably pick up Batwoman in it's place so there's no room for it at all.

Zandarl: While we are getting a a much anticipated Birds of Prey movie would The CW spin off is highly unlikely. It can be argued we have The Flash coming and rumours of Supergirl casting in next Superman movie(when ever they recast), like it’s been mentioned would they appear at same time. I adored the original Birds of Prey series and the Arrow episode this week. I would like to see something come from Arrow but I don’t think it will be this.

DR: I don’t think the episode was either over-due or too little too late. And despite being ever so slightly disappointed in the episode, I felt it held back just a little, I think the CW might indeed consider a Birds of Prey spin-off with Arrow finishing next season. The female driven superhero shows on the network have proven to do very well.

That's a wrap from us this week. Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below and adios! Until we read again.....