#i would say luke is hannah but like. most of the characters are kids its easier to age the older teens down a lil

[ella-ashmore]

hatchetfield stephen kings the institute au. btw

[hs-conspiracy]

Non-Romance Sad Songs in Musicals

Listening to a lot of musicals this past couple months really opened my eyes to how many sad and emotional songs are about romantic love. Most of the biggest musicals today like Rent, Wicked, Six, Hadestown, and more all have their emotional climax songs be about love. This isn’t something everyone can relate to, and it can get boring and lose its touch after a while. So I decided to list sad, emotional songs that are not about romantic love that other people can relate to.

“She Used to be Mine” (Waitress)

Arguably the best song in all of Waitress. Hearing Jenna mourn the death of the person she used to be is heartbreaking and shows how her marriage and depression have taken a toll on her. She states that she knows who she used to be was not perfect but it was her, not the cold shell she currently was. While the show never says outright that Jenna has depression, this song makes it clear and is a song many people with depression or other mental illness can relate to. Watching Jenna throughout the musical, you see her trying to get some of her light back through her affair Dr. Pomatter, but cheer when she realizes that it was not the right way and finally seeing her happy away from romance is heartwarming and makes “She Used to be Mine” a great song during any re-listen

“No One is Alone” (Into the Woods)

A song about grief and mourning the death of your family, how can you not cry? Red, who was always a bright light throughout the musical, and the slow Jack both crying after finding out their mothers and grandmother(in Red’s case), the last of their families, had died is devastating. Both Cinderella and the Baker have to set aside their own grief, Cinderella from finding out the man, who she thought could be family when she had no one, cheated, and the Baker from finding out the death of his wife leaving him alone with a child he had a hard time caring for without her, to comfort these children is so sad that leaves everyone in the theatre crying by the end. Anyone who has lost someone close to them or fear it can relate to this song, making it hit even harder.

Each of the Trio’s solos from The Lightning Thief: a Percy Jackson Musical

Okay so this musical has three emotional songs that have different themes that anyone can connect with. Percy sings about how no one has ever treated him like anything more than misfit except his mom, who he watched “die” in front of him, leaving him feel alone and needing someone who sees him for him. (“Good Kid”) Annabeth sings about how no one trusts her with anything important and she had to fight to be respected, but she still feels like no one does. (“My Grand Plan”) Grover sings about his insecurities caused from the trauma of not being able to save a friend even though that was his job as a Protector. (“Tree on the Hill”)

I would also like to point out the reprise of Percy’s song in “Last Day of Summer” sung by Luke. It shows how people could be in a similar situation and have the same mind set but still have two completely different views on how to fix their problems, a theme consistently in the Percy Jackson books between these two characters that was brilliantly executed in this musical based on the first book.

“Lifeboat” (Heathers: the Musical)

One of the most popular songs from this musical that has yet to make it to Broadway; “Lifeboat” shows what happens to someone when they lose their place and friends, only to get constantly belittled. This song is why Heather McNamara is most people’s favorite character.

“When the World’s a Stake” (Trail to Oregon)

A song for the mothers out there. Mother laments about how she had to give up her dreams after she got pregnant with her daughter, but she does not want the same for her. Mother married Father to give her daughter the best life she could even though at the time she did not want her. However, after seeing her daughter for the first time, she vows and pleads to God to let her daughter have “a better life than I can provide,” something any mother can relate to.

“Michael in the Bathroom” (Be More Chilled)

Of course I have to talk about this song (otherwise the BMC fandom will attack me lol jk) A song about losing your best friend and how much it hurts, something everyone has experienced. I haven’t really listened to BMC so I’m sure someone else can do a much better job of explaining this than I can.

“What Tim Wants” “If I Fail You” & “Black Friday” (Black Friday)

Another Team Starkid musical. I’m trying not to fill this list with all Starkid but I can’t not bring up these three songs from their most recent musical. Tom sings about how he is trying to make his son happy after the death of Tim’s mother (“What Tim Wants”) and then him releasing that all Tim wants Tom to do is be there, not something superficial like a toy (“If I Fail You”).

“Black Friday” is a beautiful song sung by Lex. Lex thinks she is about to die and leave her younger sister, Hannah. She remembers how she vowed to protect her sister from their mother and the world. The song ends with Lex accepting her death even though all she wants to do is fight for her sister. A song parents, siblings, and friends can relate to.

“All Grown Up” (Bare: a Pop Opera)

Probably one of the saddest songs in the saddest musical. With the setting being a Catholic school where all the students all have something serious going on, of course it's going to be sad. But to me, “All Grown Up” is the saddest non-romance song in the musical. Ivy sings about how she messed and feels like her family will be disappointed, that she let them down. How did she mess up you might be asking? She got pregnant at 16 with a guy she doesn’t feel like has true feelings for her (which the audience knows he is in love with his best friend, another boy). This song is her crying to Nadia, her roommate and sister to the father, about how she doesn’t know what to do. In the first act, Ivy isn’t a character most people like since she unknowingly getting between Jason and Peter, but this song makes her a character everyone sympathizes with. And while not everyone is/was a teen parent, the feelings she has of disappointing her parents are painful and relatable.

I encourage anyone to add to this list if you know anymore songs I haven’t thought of.

[iamnotawomanimagod]

Thd Haunting anthology for the ask game! :)

Thank you, my friend!! Sorry I took so long, lol.

Top 5 favourite characters:

This is hard.

1. Theo Crain

2. Dani  Clayton

3. Hannah Grose

4. Luke Crain

5. Viola Willoughby

Other characters you like:

It would be a lot easier to just name the characters I don’t like. These characters are so well-written and have so much depth. So if I don’t mention them in the next question, assume I like them.

Least favourite characters:

Peter fuckin’ Quint, Joey (Luke’s “friend” from rehab,) and Henry Wingrave.

Otps:

This show has more of my OTPs than any other. Hannah x Owen, Jamie x Dani, and Nell x Arthur. 

Notps:

Luke x Joey, Perdita x  Arthur (Viola’s husband,) Becca x Peter

Favourite friendships:

Theo and Shirley, Luke and Steve, and Hannah and Jamie. 

Favourite family:

The Crains own my heart, obviously, but what I loved best about BM over HH is that found family dynamic the main group develops. 

Favourite episodes:

Touch, The Bent-Neck Lady, Two Storms (!!!!!!!!!! this episode oh my god,) Screaming Meemies, Silence Lay Steadily, The Way It Came, The Altar of the Dead, The Romance of Certain Old Clothes, and The Beast in the Jungle.

Favourite season/book/movie:

I always say this: THOHH is a masterpiece, and THOBM is a really, really exceptionally good show. I do prefer HH, but only by a tiny bit. 

Favourite quotes:

“You have loved me, so I will always be here [in your heart.]” - Owen to Hannah. I’ve heard a thousand variations on this theme, but for some reason, the delivery and context of this line broke me. I always cry.

“You loved me completely. And I loved you the same. The rest is confetti.” - Nellie to her siblings. Rip me wide open!!

Best musical moment:

I really like the score of this show, but no one song or moment sticks out. 

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest:

When it really disappointed you:

It never did. I think these two shows are some of the best television ever created. 

Saddest moment:

Picking a top five (in no particular order,) since these are inherently sad and tragic shows...

1. Rebecca’s forced suicide at Peter’s hand.

2. Nellie’s death and realization that she is the Bent-Neck Lady.

3. Luke’s reaction to Nellie’s death - how he could literally feel it.

4. Jamie going to the lake and seeing Dani’s body and begging her to take her, too.

5. Dani having sleep paralysis and being unable to help Arthur when he has an aneurism.

Most well done character death:

I mean, they’re all really good and well-done. Appropriately heart-wrenching, shocking, and they all work in context of the plot. If I had to choose just one, it would probably be Nellie’s, since it’s the basis of the entire first season. The hints about the Bent-Neck Lady and the way we slowly get to know Nellie, and then come to love her the most right as she’s finally about to die - ugh, so good, so sad.

Favourite guest star:

Kate Siegel as Viola Willoughby. 

Favourite cast member:

Victoria Pedretti is a goddamn delight. She’s an incredible actress - so raw and real and compelling. She’s a stoner IRL and seems super chill during interviews. I would love to share a joint with her someday. (If I ever share a joint with anyone ever again, thanks coronavirus.) 

Character you wish was still alive:

Rebecca Jessel really deserved better, man. :( Fuck Peter Quint. 

One thing you hope really happens:

Well, the series is officially on a semi-permanent hiatus. Mike Flannagan said he has no plans for future seasons in this universe. He is currently finishing up work on another horror show, Midnight Mass, so I’m looking forward to that. I would love to see more from this universe and this cast, though.

Most shocking twist:

The Bent-Neck Lady, for sure. So well foreshadowed, and still so shocking when the realization hits. My stomach dropped through the soles of my feet. 

When did you start watching/reading?:

I caught this bandwagon pretty early - only a week or two after the first season premiered. I remember watching and realizing they had synced up the show’s timeline with real life - if you watched in 2018, Nellie dies that same year, and her date of death was just a week or two after the premiere. An extra little detail that made me very sad.

Best animal/creature:

There are no good animals in this show, lol. Fuck those kittens. 

Favourite location:

Bly Manor is soooo pretty. 

Trope you wish they would stop using:

I really hate anything with animals suffering in horror, so I just hope that never comes up again. 

One thing this show/book/film does better than others:

Everything.

...

Okay, okay. The plotlines are very clever and super well-done. 

Funniest moments:

Dani sleeping in the back of Owen’s car with her mouth wide open; Theo’s “I’m gonna get my fucking PHD;” like, most of what Theo said in general.

Couple you would like to see:

All I can say is that Hannah and Owen deserved Paris. 

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast:

Meh. No opinion. 

Favourite outfit:

I really loved the 80s and 90s looks in Bly. Dani’s jean jacket. Jamie’s looks when she and Dani are together later in life. All A+.

Favourite item:

Moonflowers.

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?:

Nah. 

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?:

I gotta go with the found family at Bly. Jamie, Dani, Hannah, Owen, the kids. They clearly had a lot of fun together, and I’m a sucker for found family. 

Most boring plotline:

I gotta go with Henry Wingrave’s doppelganger. It didn’t really do much for me, and I think the episode that centers on him, while showing important exposition, was one of the weakest in the anthology.

Most laughably bad moment:

I can’t think of one. 

Best flashback/flashfoward if any:

The entirety of “The Romance of Certain Old Clothes” 

Most layered character:

I would argue Olivia Crain. She starts out as a creative, kind, loving mother, and is slowly unraveled by the house - but that core of goodness is still inside her, and still motivates everything she does. 

Most one dimensional character:

I think this show does a great job of making all of its characters complex and interesting. I wish we had learned more about Joey, but I think she’s meant to be unsympathetic on some level. But at the end of the day, she’s kind of just Luke’s addict almost-girlfriend, and a pretty weak character among much better ones.

Scariest moment:

Ooooh, that’s tough. I think for me, it’s when Steve sees Nellie’s ghost. It’s not a super spooky episode, up to that moment. But that close-up shot of Nellie’s graying, dead face, her eyes all fucked up, her mouth gaping open unnaturally wide - and the sound she makes. Woof. Ugh. Aaaaah. It’s a lot.

Grossest moment:

The kittens. Enough said. 

Best looking male:

Best looking female:

Who you’re crushing on (if any):

I’ll always be a little in love with Kate Siegel.

Favourite cast moment:

I’ve never really looked for cast content.

Favourite transportation:

Theo’s Jeep. 

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise):

I just think Bly is so pretty. Most of the overhead or scenery shots of it are really nice.

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you:

There aren’t any. Anyone who tells you otherwise misunderstood something. 

Best promo:

I intentionally avoided promo to avoid spoilers. 

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book:

The end of the very first episode of Hill House!

I’m not doing anymore of these ‘cause I’m bad at answering them!!

[i-got-that-fandom-kinda-love]

A to Z favourite TV show challenge! Or # to Z?

# - 30 Rock (Liz Lemmon! This is just all kinds of hilarity).

A - Ally McBeal (there's not enough of this on Tumblr btw. I loved it before I understood it - my brother watched and I followed. And then I watched again and I loved it more) / Arrow (so years ago I started watching this because of Tumblr. You guys were obsessed with Olicity and I was too even though I hadn't watched the show. So I watched it. Thank you for ruining my life btw) / Accidentally in Love (Asian Series, sup, @netflix - thanks for getting me addicted to Asian series - I liked them before but now it's just there and begging to be watched AND I CAN'T HELP MYSELF - YOU'VE ADDICTED MY MOTHER TOO).

B - Brooklyn Nine Nine (best thing to happen to me, thank you Tumblr - the nine nine fandom. Also started it a couple years ago and fell in love hard. This show makes me laugh no matter what and it's pure and I love it so much. It's really a show I needed because when I watch series I get really emotionally involved and certain shows leave me so stressed that I have to take a break and all I can watch is comedies for a few weeks. Or months. Depends on how big my heart break was. B99 always makes me laugh and feel lighter). / Buffy the Vampire Slayer (another one from my childhood, you know when you're too young to really understand but old enough to remember it? So yeah, my brother got me hooked at a young age and the addiction stuck. Because I've never been able to forget Buffy. And I've recently been rewatching it with my mother - she too is a bit addicted).

C - Charmed (Original series, not reboot - I haven't even watched the reboot. But yes, Charmed. I remember being up til 10PM on a Monday while I was in primary (middle) school just to watch it. Halliwell sisters are another drug I never could kick - Leo was one of my first ever crushes - my very first crush was Shahrukh Khan and if we're ever talking Bollywood movies he'll be all over that post).

D - Doctor Who (Okay! I only started watching from season 5, again cos NETFLIX - the Doctor and Amy Pond - man, just lock me up in the TARDIS and take me away already. ALSO one of the series that broke my heart enough that rendered me incapable of watching any other series except comedy).

E - Ek Hazaroon Mein Meri Behna Hai (Hindi series; my sister is one in a thousand - I assume it's the name because that sounds better in Hindi than one in a million or billion. There's something about Hindi series that sucks you in and tortures you until you're on the brick of exploding from suspense - the build up is both infuriating and renders you unable to tear your eyes away).

F - Friends ('Cause it's been there for me and how can I not? Again, childhood. Also. Heroes get remembered but legends never die. And I've watched every episode like a gazillion times and laugh just the same - I think even more 'cause I know what's gonna happen. I'm one of those people). / Fairy Tail (Anime. Magic. Friendship. Friendship. Friendship. It's one of those rare shows that has a lot of characters and manages to make you love each one of them. I found it after high school but I love it to bits).

G - Gilmore Girls (I remember the first time I watched this as a kid, Rory and Lorelei were sitting at Luke's diner and chatting about something and I though they were sisters. I was at my cousin's house and I just couldn't stop watching them. Loved it ever since. And it's strange how a randomly watching TV can just change your life - 'cause you know, I obsess) / Gossip Girl (at first, I'd watched it because Kristen Bell was the voice of Gossip Girl. And I needed anything related to anything Veronica Mars. And then I naturally loved it like everybody else. Also disappointed at who GG really was. So yeah.)

H - How I Met Your Mother (At first I really, really loved it, now though it's not so high on my favourite list but it does still make me laugh - cos Barney. The final episode was so disappointing). / Hannah Montana (because if I was 13 or 16 this would have made the list. And I still love the show. My heart swells everytime my bestie sings True Friend to me. I still love Hannah Montana music okay).

I - iZombie (Rob Thomas. He's the reason I tried it out. Liv is the reason I stayed. Also Ravi. And also Major. Okay, dude, characters and plot is right on point) / Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon (Hindi series; what name do I give to this love? Its unnecessarily complicated but gosh those complications kept me on edge, staring at the screen, waiting for those idiots to realise the truth. Opposites attract. Hate to love to hate to love. They did it so well).

J - Joan of Arcadia (okay so I remember really loving this when I was younger - I haven't rewatched it as an adult but I feel like I'll still love it. I mean, come on, what if God was one of us?)

K - Kim Possible (Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me? Ultimate cartoon. Hands down. Second best is The Life and Times of Juniper Lee - she's basically the cartoon Buffy - the Chosen One - though it's hereditary instead of random? And also more fun and less heartache 'cause it's a cartoon).

L - Lucifer (Man, Lucifer. You got the guy telling everyone he's the devil and they think he's talking in metaphors? It's just hilarious to me. Detective. Romance. Snark. Supernatural. Also, Hello, Adult Tom Welling - can I even describe how excited I was to see him? Smallville, man).

M - Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir (One of the few new cartoons that I watch and love. This is just so cute and the love square is just so cute and everything is just so cute. And like we need cute stuff in our lives. Frustrating cos how oblivious can one be but also why you so cute Marinette Dupain Chang and Adrian Agreste aka Ladybug and Cat Noir)/ Malcolm in the Middle (Childhood. Childhood. Childhood. I'm not the middle child but I relate).

N - Naruto (Anime. Okay, childhood yes, also teenagehood and adulthood. Guy's been with me through everything, believe it. This show just means so much to me and I'm thankful that I got to grow up with him. Thank you, Kishimoto).

O - One Day At a Time (THANK YOU, NETFLIX! This is just one of the greatest shows on right now. I love comedy. I didn't expect it to be so emotional too. But damn it gets you right in the feels. My brother claims I'm exactly like Elena and our nephew is like Alex. I honestly don't mind. Elena is badass and strong as hell.)

P - Psych (It's just awesome? It's clever, it's funny, Shawn and Gus. The dramatics in extremely serious situations will never not make grin like a mad woman. Also private investigation shows seem to a weakness of mine. ) / Parks and Recreation (okay I never thought I'd like a mockumentary kind of series but this happened and proved me wrong and I just love this show and it's characters). / Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara (Hindi Series; the pain of love is sweet and loveable. When your parents set you up with someone and you're like no way in hell and they're like okay but they you become best friends and fall in love and yeah. The name says it all, really). / Pinocchio (Asian series - one of the more complicated ones but I simply just loved these characters and actors to bits after watching it).

Q - Quantico (it's not really one of my favourites but I couldn't think of anything else and I do enjoy it. Priyanka Chopra has always been a fav since forever - Bollywood was life before I was even old enough to understand English - but it's because of this that I can understand Hindi without needing subtitles).

R - Rizzoli & Isles (who wouldn't love a show with two best friends kicking ass in the work place). / Revenge (I watched it cos I liked Emily from Everwood but the story was so intriguing and I just got addicted. It wasn't like anything I've ever seen). / Refresh Man (Asian series - officially my favourite Asian series of all time - again, thank you Netflix. Also ever since I've loved both Aaron Yan and Joanna Tseng and I'm on a mission to watch everything they've ever acted in - do you see my obsessing tenancies?).

S - Supergirl / Supernatural / Suits / Smallville (Okay! There's too many shows that start with an S. Smallville was my gateway into the superhero show - movie - comic obsession. And also I'm getting tired of commenting on everything).

T - The Good Place / The Office (US) / The Flash/ Teen Wolf (also too many with a T!)

U - Ugly Betty

V - Veronica Mars (of all time!! Man, again, random TV viewing = life changing TV show that sticks with you forever and Veronica Mars has definitely affected me way more than any other show. I couldn't get it out of my head ever since 2007! I waited for every Thursday just to watch it and naturally Thursday became my favourite day of the week - not Friday like normal scholars - nope. I think it's the way that it ended that contributed to my obsession - so much questions left unanswered and to a 12 year old girl the most important thing is of course that LoVe hadn't officially gotten back together. My mind wrote and rewrote endings and scenarios. Then I discovered fanfiction. And then I started writing. Veronica Mars made me a junkie but also helped me discover my passion. It's not just the show that makes it my #1 but the journey it's taken me on while it was on air and especially when it was off air. ALSO THE SHOW IS SIMPLY AMAZING EVEN WITHOUT ALL MY EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT - also one of the shows that I started watching and then my brother got hooked onto it).

W - What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? / Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo/ W: two worlds apart (all Asian series - OKAY, NETFLIX IS BLAMED FOR ALL OF THIS)

X - Is there anything but X-Men? I wouldn't really put the series on my favourite list but I do watch the X-Men cartoons and I have enjoyed it so imma let it be.

Y - Young Sheldon (Too smart for his own good Cooper.) / Yankee-kun to Megane-chan (Asian series - okay, this one can't be put on Netflix. It's the first Asian drama series I'd watched because of a manga that I loved).

Z - Zoey101 ('Cause there's nothing else I can think off and I enjoyed it when I was younger. I remember putting 101 after all of my usernames for everything).

So when I thought of this I thought I'd put one name for each alphabet but it didn't work out that way 'cause I obsess over everything.

I would love to get to know more about everyone's favourite shows. I'm tagging based on the Tumblr likes thing (also on my @marshmallowatheart account) and also urls I remember seeing often on the activity cos I wanted to tag as much people as possible. I'd have been cool if I could have went with the a - z for tagging but it's not working out like I wanted so next best. (Also if I didn't tag you and you wanna do it, please go for it, I'm really into this).

Anyone who wants to do this can and whoever doesn't want to it's cool! It takes time to think especially when you have to pick between things so if you want to, add as many as you like. You don't have to add comments on it if you don't want to, I just got carried away! And then got tired.

@poppy-in-the-woods @risssaar @stephaniecatlover @ihaveathingformeninwaistcoats @write-to-feel @mediocre-mee @jenilyn2000 @lalacristina18 @cainc3 @mrskissytaylor @anilcadz91 @elliebear75 @troublescout @hanitjemars @susanmichelin @cheshirecatstrut @firedragonmon

[theriverdalereviewer]

HMT anon here! Long time no see! I was browsing through the brief comments you made about the individual episodes and wondered if you could possibly make a holistic review of the season? You made a really nice one for S3, where you gave your brief thoughts on each episode and i loved it! Also, how would you rate tis compared to S3?

omg handmaid’s tale anon?!!! its been so long I was wondering when I would hear from you again. glad youre here again!!! and yes of course I can give you my thoughts on the season!

Overall, I give this season of The Handmaid’s Tale a C-. I feel the same way about it that I did about season 3. While it fixed the issues of season 3, it came with its own problems. I’ll talk about what I liked and what I didn’t.

What I Liked:

It feels like for the first time since Holly/Nicole was born, the show has made actual progress. It took half the season to finally make it there but June is in Canada and I like how the show depicted her rough transition. I think the writers have always been aware of how difficult leaving Gilead mentally can be but June was the first character where they really explored that. I said in another post that with the way they’ve been writing her character, giving her this vengeful characterization feels natural and it makes that weird three episode arc with Natalie/Ofmatthew in season 3 make more sense now.

The other really great part of June in Canada is seeing all of the other characters that the show has ignored. Emily, Moira, and Luke have gotten more to do this season than they have for the last two, and finally their characters are being fleshed out more. I was glad that they included the kids rescued on the Angel’s Flight not adjusting well to Canada cause it was a thought that crossed my mind too. We’ll probably see it better explored when Hannah is eventually back with Luke and June.

Most of the episodes where June was still in Gilead were good episodes - not great - but they were good. I liked the addition of Ms. Keyes cause she answered some questions I had about what happens to the children of commanders who eventually become wives. Also it was nice having a character who kept people on their toes. Anyways, there was a lot of moving in these episodes. One minute they’re on a farm, the next they’re in some brothel and then they're in Chicago and then they’re traveling to Canada. I think that’s a pretty realistic experience of refugees even if it did feel too fast paced and at times, kinda useless. Also we learned a lot more about Janine in these episodes which is all I have ever wanted. She will always be one of my favorite HMT characters and getting to know her more didn’t change anything for me.

Lastly, Fred’s death happened at the right time. His character had ran his course, and it was either he died or he would get away with things and the latter would make everything pointless. I liked the idea that they had him die just as scared and worried for his children as all of the women that he tortured were.

What I didn’t like:

For the first time ever, I found myself getting bored with The Handmaid’s Tale. I thought things changing would keep me interested, but HMT has lost the tension that it had season 1 and 2 where June and us viewers constantly felt like we were under imminent danger and possible punishment. Watching season 4 and seeing June in these dangerous situations felt tedious because I knew that she would get out just fine enough at the end of things. On top of that, I don’t root for June as much as I used to. The writers have intentionally written her as unlikable which I get. Like I said earlier, this is a natural path for her given the way they’ve set her up to be written but Elisabeth Moss does not play this intimidating monster in a way that makes her interesting to me. For example, that scene where she confronts Serena and curses her out doesn’t feel as satisfying as when she did it in the car in season 1.

While the Canada characters came to light this season, it’s like they forgot all about the ones in Gilead. Nick has gone yet another season of having no real contribution and I still don’t understand how he’s helping June at all. In fact, it feels like they constantly use that excuse whenever they need to put June in danger. I don’t understand how Lydia, Lawrence or Ms. Keyes' plot is going to tie in to the grand scheme of things so for now, it feels useless. And everything with the Waterfords was just filler. Episodes of them going back and forth, and double crossing each other now seem pointless given the fact that Fred is dead. How did any of that change things for Serena? Meanwhile, Serena is pregnant but it just doesn’t feel like they did enough with this bombshell. This is a character who has spent the last three seasons so eager to be pregnant with a child but we barely saw her and the process she’s going through. We got to see all of Serena’s feelings surrounding June’s pregnancy but not enough of how she felt about her own. The other thing (and this is probably just personal preference) but I wish we got to see more of her dynamic with June. I hate to say it but both characters thrived when Serena was the one in power and June had to deal with that, and season four lacked that element.

As I mentioned earlier, early season 4 episodes were good but not great. There was a lot that happened that amounted to nothing. What was the point of the brothel drugging scene exactly? Are the Chicago rebels gonna have a bigger impact? The entire third episode felt pointless and like torture porn at one point. They couldn’t have June realize that Hannah doesn’t recognize her anymore without dragging us through yet another stupid torture scene.

So to conclude, I think the show thrived when it was depicting an oppressive regime but it's really struggled at realistically portraying a revolution. There are just so many elements to take into account that the show doesn’t (like how do Canadians feel about American refugees? how is “Little America” even standing on its two feet?) and nothing is done realistically either. At this point, I should probably let the realisticness factor go but I just have to roll my eyes sometimes when they act like June practically flew that plane into Canada herself with the way they give her credit for the flight.

[mrlnsfrt]

Parenting and Potential

Samson has always grabbed my attention. I remember as a child imagining in my head what it would have been like to be as strong as Samson. Samson is a well-known hero of the Bible, one that children are often familiar with. However, if we think of the story of Samson as simply a superhero story for kids, we will miss the many lessons this story has for people of all ages and in all walks of life. After all, the story of Samson is considered an ancient masterpiece. (Block, Daniel Isaac. Judges, Ruth. Broadman & Holman, 1999. p 391)

In this post, I will be looking at this story just like I look at all stories in the Bible, as a true story, inspired by God that we can learn eternal truths from.

So let us dive in!

Again?

Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. Judges 13:1 NKJV (bold mine)

The Bible Knowledge Commentary points out that this is the 7th mention of Israel’s apostasy in the Book of Judges ( Judges 3:5–7, 12–14; 4:1–3; 6:1–2; 8:33–35; 10:6–9) (Lindsey, F. D. (1985). Judges. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 403). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.) This is considered the climax of Israel’s rebellion against God and His will.

When you read through the book of Judges you notice a clear pattern of apostasy, oppression, appeals for relief, and deliverance. (Block, Daniel Isaac. Judges, Ruth. Broadman & Holman, 1999. p391) This pattern is easily seen in the stories of Othniel (Judges 3:7-11), Ehud (Judges 3:12-29), and Barak (Judges 4:1-5:31), and even in the story of Gideon (Judges 6:1-9:57). You would also notice that with each story the storyteller becomes more interested in the personality of the judge/deliverer and sticks less to just the cycle. In the story of Jephthah, the structure begins to miss some of the parts of the cycle and this trend only intensifies in the story of Samson.

In the story of Samson, the cycle of apostasy —> oppression —> cry —> deliverance is severely disturbed. Most noticeable is the lack of response of Israel, there is no crying out to the LORD. Could it be that Israel slowly became used to being oppressed by its enemies? Perhaps they figured life would be easier with a little bit of compromise, after all, nobody is perfect right? They knew they could cry out to God, but then they would also have to re-commit their lives to God, they would have to confess their sins and repent. Could they be trying to simply manage their sin instead of allowing God to remove it from their lives?

Do we ever settle for less than what life could be because we are hesitant to give up our sins and fully surrender our hearts to Jesus?

40 years!?

Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. Judges 13:1 NKJV (bold mine)

Dates are tricky in the book of Judges. There are questions as to whether this period was before, or included, the days of Samson and perhaps extended beyond to the battle of Ebenezer in the days of Samuel (1 Sam. 7:13). Samson was likely born in the early years of the Philistine oppression and according to some authorities, this oppression was contemporaneous with the Ammonite oppression and judgeship of Jephthah. (Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1976). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 2, p. 382). Review and Herald Publishing Association.)

This chapter is by no means in direct chronological sequence to the preceding one. What we know is that the scene has shifted to the tribe of Dan, and the Philistines on the west, but there is nothing to guide us as to the exact time when the things narrated occurred. But the end of the forty years probably coincided with the judgeship of Samuel; for there was no complete deliverance in the time of Samson, only occasional checks to the Philistine domination (see ver. 5). It was not till the days of Samuel that the Philistines were really smitten (see 1 Sam. 7:3–14). The birth of Samson probably took place somewhere in the first decade of the Philistine oppression. (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). Judges (pp. 137–138). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)

We need a Hero!

This is the portion of the story where usually we would have a description of how Israel cried out to the Lord (Judges 3:9, 15; 6:6; 10:10) and the Lord raised a deliverer. Except, as we mentioned earlier, the Samson narrative is different. In this story, the Israelites display little discomfort and there is barely any evidence that they want to be delivered. There is also no formal announcement that the Lord raised up a deliverer. (Judges 2:16-18; 3:9,15) (Block, Daniel Isaac. p396)

Barren

Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. - Judges 13:2 NKJV (bold mine)

Reading the Bible we realize that barrenness, to a Hebrew woman, was the greatest of calamities. Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel were likewise barren. So was Hannah, the mother of Samuel, and Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. (Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1976). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 2, p. 383). Review and Herald Publishing Association.)

What follows in the story is a call narrative, kinda… It is not explicit and direct, and the call does not come directly to the person called but rather to his mother.

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. - Judges 13:3 NKJV (bold mine)

Some of the greatest men of the Hebrew nation were born of women who had previously been barren. Children like these were in a special sense the gift of God, and the parents had the great responsibility of being fully devoted to the Lord and to rear their children in such a way as to enable them to be special instruments of the Lord on behalf of His people. (Nichol, F. D. p. 383).

The Mission

Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” - Judges 13:4-5 NKJV

The word Nazarite means “separated,” or, “devoted.” It is probably a shortened form of the full title, “devoted to God.” The Nazirite vow was a voluntary and temporary vow, carried out only for a specified period of time (see Numbers 6:2). Its significance consisted in the consecration of life to God. The outward manifestation of the vow consisted of three things:

(1) abstaining from all products of the grape, including the wine or the fruit, fresh or dried (Num. 6:3, 4);

(2) allowing the hair of the head to grow, untouched by a razor or cutting instrument (Num. 6:5);

(3) refraining from approaching a dead body under any circumstances lest defilement be incurred (Num. 6:6).

The Nazirite vow was highly regarded among the Hebrews (Amos 2:11; Lam. 4:7). Samuel was a Nazirite (1 Sam. 1:11), as was also John the Baptist (Luke 1:15). Some have thought that perhaps Joseph (see Gen. 49:26, where the word translated “separate” is the same word used of Samson here in this verse and of all the Nazirites) was a Nazirite. ( Nichol, F. D. p383)

The law of the Nazarites is contained in Numbers 6, and it is worth noting that it describes only Nazarites of days, in other words, Nazarites for a definite time. Whereas Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist were perpetual Nazarites, Nazarites of forever, as the Mishna classifies them. Paul took the vow of a Nazarite of days, and offered the prescribed sacrifices, together with “the hair of the head of his separation,” as we read in Acts 18:18; 21:23–26. (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). Judges (p. 138). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)

Parenting and Potential

Talk to mom

So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’ ” - Judges 13:6-7 NKJV

There is an interesting debate that tends to take place at this point in the story. Is the mother a marginalized character?

The mother is never named, she is simply the woman. However, she is the one the angel talks to. I feel like it might be a bit early to have this discussion. Let’s read a bit more.

Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.”

And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!” - Judges 13:8-10 NKJV

Manoah, the husband, wants to talk to this “man” and asks God to send “the man” again to teach them what they shall do. I admire Manoah for not doubting, he believes the child will be born, if anything he wants to make sure he knows how to raise the child. This is a great question and all parents should inquire of God in this manner.

As you continue reading the story you realize that in reality, the nameless mother is portrayed as wise and capable. The angel talks to her, and she understands what is going on. Manoah, the husband, on the other hand, seems confused and unsure and blunders along. So it could be argued that although only Manoah is the only named parent of Samson, it is the nameless mother is the one who is depicted as being competent.

Parenting

You don’t have to be a mother to appreciate the importance of parenting. The parents/caregivers of children have incredible influence over the life of a child and this should not be taken lightly. The Angel of the Lord shows up to talk to the mother because God understands that the involvement of the parents, and especially the mother, is crucial to the success of the child.

It is worth noting that the Angel of the Lord gives guidance that involves the diet of the child. According to this portion of the story, what we eat impacts our spiritual health. Samson has an important mission, “he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” And to accomplish this, he is to avoid certain foods and drinks.

I love what the book Patriarchs and Prophets has to say regarding this.

True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful. There are few who realize as they should how much their habits of diet have to do with their health, their character, their usefulness in this world, and their eternal destiny. The appetite should ever be in subjection to the moral and intellectual powers. The body should be servant to the mind, and not the mind to the body. - Patriarchs and Prophets p562

What I take away from this is that the discipline it takes to eat a healthy diet and avoid unhealthy food and drink is beneficial since it develops character. From childhood, the person learns to control their appetite and cravings and this is also helpful in spiritual pursuits. God is interested in the whole person, mind, body, and soul. When one aspect suffers, the whole person suffers.

As a father of a boy and a girl, I do my very best to help my kids develop healthy habits. I want them to go to bed early, drink water, exercise, pray often, do their personal devotion, be kind and honest, etc. I believe it is important for me to model this behavior and to encourage my children to live their lives similarly. My kids are free to have their personal preferences, to a certain degree. They can choose what kind of exercise, so long as they exercise. They can choose how they want to eat their vegetables, as long as they eat them. They can even choose their desert, but not how much desert they can have.

I still have much to learn, but I strongly believe that actively removing things that I know to be harmful from my life and finding a balance among helpful things is a good way to go about figuring out not only life but also parenthood.

Children naturally have less power to resist temptation than their parents/guardians. If the adults in their life, especially their parents, do not set a good example, the next generation tends to fall even lower, and the cycle repeats itself with society continuing to decline generation after generation. All parents should echo the prayer of Manoah:

So Manoah asked him, “When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy’s life and work?” Judges 13:12 NLT

We ought to start teaching children about self-control and right and wrong from the time they are babies. That is the best time to help them develop healthy habits, eating fruits and vegetables, eating at the appropriate times, putting away their toys, telling the truth, sharing, etc. A child should not get to do whatever they want just because they’re a child.

Practical Application

God has a plan for our lives, and being in good physical health is conducive to God’s plan. Avoiding alcoholic drinks is not only beneficial to those undertaking the Nazirite vow in ancient Israel but also beneficial today. When we are careless about our physical health we miss out on blessings that God has in store for us. He can still bless us, but we limit our blessings when we disregard our health.

God has a plan for the children in our lives, our kids, nieces, nephews, grandkids, and students, need good role models, good mentors who will help direct them on the right path. Let us not take lightly our influence over the lives of the younger ones. Parents especially should pray often asking God for guidance in this matter. God has a plan, maybe He is calling you simply to start something that someone else will continue, but God has a plan for you. You just need to ask Him what it is and He will guide you in your steps.

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Character Names in Eleutherophobia

Since I’ve had a few people ask me about the character names in Eleutherophobia, I figured I’d run down the whole list.  These names are approximately in order of appearance in my various fics.  To be clear: this is not crossover fiction.  These are supposed to be nods to these characters, not the characters themselves.  Bearing that in mind, in approximate order of appearance:

Day the Earth Stood Still

Essa 412: a yeerkanization of “Boy 412,” the main character of the Septimus Heap series.  In my opinion, the second best treatment of the impact of war on children ever written into a modern fantasy series.

Leslie Burke: the deuteragonist of Bridge to Terabithia.  The character always reminded me of a younger Rachel, so I chose to give the name to the bearer of Rachel’s death.

Anne Shirley: the main character of Anne of Green Gables, who often goes underestimated for the extent to which she is a tough, complex, socially awkward heroine written in 1908.

George Little: the younger brother of the title character of Stuart Little.  Mostly named because I wanted to give David a last name that implied cowardice without being ridiculously obvious about it.

Lost World

[Steve] Carlsberg: the not-quite-antagonist of Welcome to Night Vale.

Akira 

Dr. Miranda Franklin: named for Miranda of Dr. Franklin’s Island.  Kind of a pun on my part: the plot of that book involves one of the main characters involuntarily turning into an anaconda. 

Jennifer Murdley: titular character of Jennifer Murdley’s Toad, one of the books in Bruce Coville’s Magic Shop series who learns the very hard way to love herself. 

Mrs. [Hannah] Gruen: Nancy Drew’s housekeeper.

THX 1138

Joey Costello: the deuteragonist of Tangerine, a story about two boys who have very different sets of troubles with their respective older brothers. 

Dr. Pendanski: one of the incompetent counselors from Holes by Louis Sachar.

Jodi O’Shea: far and away my most pointed literary allusion.  Jodi is a minor character in The Host by Stephenie Meyer, a book which I love (except for the extremely problematic ending, but I’ll get back to that). The Host is essentially a love story between a yeerk (Wanda) and a human (Ian) whose entire plot is driven by consent negotiations.  It’s about Wanda and Ian wishing they could be together but knowing they never will because they can’t be without violating the right to consent of the yeerk’s host, Melanie.  Melanie, meanwhile, is in love with a different guy... Who can’t be with her either without violating Wanda’s right to consent.

[SPOILER WARNING] Eventually Ian resolves this love quadrangle by putting Wanda inside a human (“Pet,” and don’t get me started on that name) who has been a controller for so long that she has forgotten how to exert her own conscious will.  Wanda and Ian presumably do the horizontal tango using that host instead, AND THIS IS TREATED AS A HAPPY ENDING.  Jodi O’Shea also meets the same fate as Pet: Jodi has forgotten how to feed herself or move on her own, so her own husband decides that they should just put her yeerk, Sunny, back in her head.  Sunny claims that Jodi is brain-dead... But Sunny is also strongly motivated to lie.  (There are also implications that Jodi’s husband becomes romantically involved with Sunny instead, a plot which is so horrifying it deserves its own blog post.)  Most importantly, all the main characters are really happy that these poor hosts are vegetables.  There is an entire subpopulation of humans who have become entirely dependent on their alien slave masters for survival... and this fact is treated as the solution to all the characters’ problems.  It’s celebrated.  And, yeah, both THX 1138 and Ghost in the Shell contain some pretty pointed commentary from me on why I find this ending to be so deeply unfortunate.  [END SPOILERS]

Ghost in the Shell

Mary Lennox: the main character of The Secret Garden, the first book without pictures I ever read on my own. 

Rose Rita: main character of The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring, and arguably one of the first genderqueer characters to make it into a children’s fantasy novel.

Margaret White: the antagonist of Stephen King’s novel Carrie, obsessed with preserving the innocence (and thus the dependent ignorance) of her teenage daughter.

Sophie Hatter: main character of Howl’s Moving Castle, who does in fact make her own clothes.

[Mr.] Broxholm: the titular alien from My Teacher Flunked the Planet by Bruce Coville, one of the most awesome and profound children’s sci-fi novels I have ever read.

Anita Psammead: a nod to The Five Children and It by E. Nesbitt, one of the first ever fantasy novels written for children. 

Miss Zarves: the teacher from Sideways Stories from Wayside School who doesn’t exist, because she was accidentally assigned to teach on a floor that was never built.

Nikto 770: nod to the code phrase in Day the Earth Stood Still (the original movie, not my fic).

Kit Rodriguez: the deuteragonist of the Young Wizards series, known for his passion and tendency to care deeply for others.

Aristotle “Ari” [Mendoza]: main character of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

Dante [Quintana]: main character of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

Gabriel “G.T.” Stoop: the main character’s mentor in Hope Was Here.

Elijah Springfield: a teen detective from the Veritas Project series.

Lydia [Bennett]: supporting character from Pride and Prejudice.

Nick Adams: a recurring Ernest Hemingway character.

T.J. Avery: next door neighbor to the Logan family in Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry.

Cecily Tallis: the narrator’s older sister (and unwitting victim) in Atonement by Ian McEwan. 

Maybeth Tillerman: one of the main characters in Homecoming by Cynthia Voight, a book that critics like to describe as “the anti-Boxcar Children” for its unflinchingly realistic portrayal of childhood homelessness.

June Boatwright: one of the protagonist’s mentors in The Secret Life of Bees.

Caitlin Somers: a Judy Blume character from Summer Sisters.

Alex Morales: main character of The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer.

Cooper-Trebond: shortening of “Alanna Cooper of Trebond” the name of the main character of Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series.

Jesse Hauptman: the protagonist’s stepdaughter and mentee in the Mercy Thompson series.

Timmy Dugan: lesser-known real name of WWII comic book hero Dum Dum Dugan, sidekick to Nick Fury and Howling Commando as part of the Marvel universe. 

Luke Castellan and Chris Rodriguez: two of the supporting characters from Percy Jackson and the Olympians.  I wouldn’t say that Luke Castellan is the first meatsuit I ever fell in love with (despite him being basically a voluntary controller and also a human dumpster fire), but I would say that he made my tendency to care too much about meatsuits in general about 1000 times worse.

“Cornelius”: okay, this one is in fact a crossover—that’s meant to be Tyler Durden, main character of Chuck Palahnuick’s Fight Club. He’s a schizophrenic, lonely guy who goes to support groups for various traumas that he never actually survived (usually under the fake name Cornelius) because that’s the only way he knows how to connect to people. 

Odette: the protagonist of Swan Lake and several subsequent adaptations, including Mercedes Lackey’s awesome The Black Swan.

Rod Allbright: another character from My Teacher is an Alien, because I love that series. 

Officer Nice: a nod to the song of the same name by Vio-Lence, one of my few non-literary allusions.

Gerald “Jerry” Cruncher: a guy who works as a porter (and remover of bodies) in of A Tale of Two Cities. 

Paul Edgecombe: main character of The Green Mile, a deeply conflicted prison guard who gets cast as Pontius Pilate in a modern-day gospel retelling.

Kate Malone: narrator of Laurie Halse Anderson’s amazingly powerful novel Catalyst.

Mae Tuck: matriarch of the titular immortal clan from Tuck Everlasting.

Annie Hughes: one of the main characters from The Iron Giant.

Kirsten Larson: one of the first characters from the American Girl series, an immigrant from Sweden who struggles to acclimate to the United States.

Adah Price: one of the co-narrators of The Poisonwood Bible, a disabled polymath who loves palindromes and puzzles.

Iris Chase: a society lady and heiress from The Blind Assassin, which chronicles family dysfunction and its unique impact on women over several generations. 

Dawn Schafer: part of the enormous rotating cast of protagonists from The Babysitters’ Club series, and one of my favorite characters as a kid.

Henry Case: main character of the genre-creating cyberpunk novel Neuromancer.

Parvana Weera: a tough, outgoing young woman whose struggle to keep her family safe during the American invasion of her home in Afghanistan forms the main plot of The Breadwinner.

Raven Madison: main character of Vampire Kisses, who spends a little too much time in her intense fantasy worlds and not quite enough connected to reality. 

Mr. [Bob] Grey: pseudonym used by the creature also known as Pennywise the Clown and simply “It” in several of Stephen King’s novels.

Ms. [Mary] Logan: mother of the main character in Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, because I love that book.

Karana Nicoleño: although Karana, the main character of Island of the Blue Dolphins, doesn’t technically have a last name, her tribe is historically referred to as the Nicoleño.

Total Recall 

Vicky Austin: main character of A Ring of Endless Light, a book about coming to terms with dying—and about the many complex shades of victim blaming that can occur in light of unquantifiable tragedy.

Samuel Cornick: roommate to the eponymous Mercy Thompson of the bestselling Patricia Briggs series, a werewolf-doctor who continuously struggles to find meaning in an excessively long life and one of my favorite characters of all time.

The Thing from Another World

Seth Clearwater: a minor character in Eclipse, one of the youngest werewolves of the Quileute pack.

Captain William Nasland: one of the more obscure characters to hold the title Captain America; retconned into the role following Steve Rogers’s “death” in 1945.  Acts as both a hero and a villain because he has a well-intentioned but also closed-minded idea of what Captain America should be. 

Allison Chapman: main character of Sharing Sam, K.A. Applegate’s lesser-known novel about teenage basketball geeks who back their way into understanding the life, the universe, and everything.

Simon Grace: one of the main characters of the Spiderwick Chronicles.

Giselle Villard: one of the main characters from the Mystic comic book series who is awesome, tough... and more than a little power-hungry.

As far as I can tell, that’s it for the character names in Eleutherophobia.  I mentioned here why Marco’s last name is Alvarez and Cassie’s is Day in my series.  There are a few dozen other allusions as well (Tom and Bonnie bastardizing the “tears in the rain” speech from Blade Runner, Cassie quoting the epigraph from Home of the Brave, several nods to Remnants and Everworld and The One and Only Ivan, Marco making jokes about Lost World and Alien) and obviously all my fic titles are from classic sci-fi movies while all my song nods are The Best of 1990—2000, but as far as I know that’s it for allusions. If there are any that I missed, or that you’re still wondering about, let me know and I’ll happily clarify.

[callmehawkeye]

Watched in 2018

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (Season 1): I didn’t expect to adore this as much as I did. Everyone knocked their roles out of the park. Crushes for dayyyyys.

The Keepers (2017): A serial documentary about the unsolved murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik and the most-likely possible connection of systematic abuse at the Catholic school she taught at.

Mindhunter (Season 1): Dramatization of the FBI in the late ‘70s as the Behavioral Science Unit developed their profiling and understanding of serial killers.

Roots (1977): I remember watching a bit of this mini-series in middle school and needing a signed permission slip. But that’s the extent of it. Happy I finally got a chance to watch it all the way through.

All the Money in the World (2017): Gorgeous film, noteworthy performances. I’m happy to give my money to a filmmaker who made a decision not many would try. I respect Scott a whole lot more now.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (Season 1): The show’s budget is bananas and I love everything about it. SCIENCE RULES.

Proud Mary (2018): I found the trailer to be rather misleading in that I didn’t exactly get what I paid for. The genre was definitely more drama than action and Taraji was great, although I wished she had more screen time instead of the focus being on tired plot points and themes.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2018): More witchy cartoons, please. This was delightful.

Bill Nye Saves the World (Season 1): BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL!

Bill Nye Saves the World (Season 2.1): I can’t believe how good this is. It’s so open-minded and clever and validating.

The Watcher in the Woods (2017): The remake certainly isn’t as good as the original; it strips away too much of the mystery. But please cast Anjelica Huston in more projects, please please please. She’s still so captivating. 

Luke Cage (Season 1): I feel like Mahershala Ali is what mostly held my attention......... And then.........

Lowriders (2016): I had an opinion about this, I’m sure. But I don’t remember this movie at all now.

Human Planet (Mini-Series): BBC docuseries about how people adjust to their natural environments.

 Maria Bamford: The Special Special Special (2014): Maria’s slow return to standup by performing in her parents’ living room.

Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003): In-depth documentary of Los Angeles’ place in film history.

Maria Bamford: Old Baby (2017): Maria’s latest standup special that begins in front of the mirror, progresses to a small backyard crowd, and evolves to a full theater set.

Black Panther (2018): WAKANDA FOREVER!!! This better get some recognition come awards season for the visuals.

Chris Rock: Tamborine (2018): Some of his jokes fall flat, but he’s still engaging and it’s good to see Rock on stage again.

Queer Eye (Season 1): I have done nothing good enough in my life to deserve the wholesome goodness of this show.

Annihilation (2018): It’s not perfect, but not deserving of the backlash it got from its own studio. This was a perfect, immersive sci-fi thriller on par for me as the likes of Alien.

The Killing of America (1981): The brutal, graphic documenting of America’s violence problem in a condensed timeframe starting with the JFK assassination and ending on the murder of John Lennon.

A Wrinkle in Time (2018): There are many intricacies from the novel that I disagree with being excluded from this film adaptation. HOWEVER. It made me feel all the same feelings I did from when I first read the book as a child. I ADORED it.

Pacific Rim Uprising (2018): Okay. Buckle in. I have a lot of feelings to the point where I’m updating my film list of the year immediately afterwards and not waiting to stack up a good amount of viewings to justify an update. It was horrible. Third time in my life I ever walked out of a theater. Second time I’ve ever asked for a refund from a movie theater in my life. I don’t know why I’m so righteously disappointed. I didn’t expect it to have Guillermo’s direction nor heart; but it so thoroughly missed the mark I can already say in mid-March that it’s my biggest disappointment of the year. It was void of any charm the original had, took its faults that I recognized and viewed and magnified it by a trillion. It felt like an unfinished television pilot. DIAF.

Ready Player One (2018): Spielberg tried his best to make a better version of the novel, but it just felt soulless.

A Quiet Place (2018): One of the better horror movies I’ve seen in some time. I’m so proud of John Krasinski.

Love, Simon (2018): This was such a solid romantic comedy, I can’t even find a way to summarize it.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season 2): The best original series Netflix has. Don’t @ me.

The Family I Had (2017): The true recounting of a mother whose 13 year old son killed his 3 year old sister.

Genie: Secret of the Wild Child (1997): Documentary of the alias-named child Genie who was isolated and uncared for, for 13 years by her parents.

Rampage (2018): Delightfully stupid, but made me realize I can never go to an IMAX screening again because it was just like having someone shriek in my ear for two hours.

Isle of Dogs (2018): So beautiful, sweet, and heart-warming. 

Welcome to Leith (2015): Unenlightened hypocrisy at its finest -- white supremacists try to make a small town their sanctuary only to be aghast no one wants them there.

The Avengers: Infinity War (2018): In typical Marvel Avengers films fashion (this is a comment excluding the standalone character films -- not Civil War, please, they stole Captain’s movie from him), it’s over-bloated and the good sum of its parts does not a good movie make.

The Americans (Season 1): I’ve forgotten to add this.

The Americans (Season 2): I marathoned everything.

The Americans (Season 3): To make it to the season 6 premiere in time.

The Americans (Season 4): It was great.

The Americans (Season 5): And then season 6 happened.

John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous: The most relatable standup I’ve ever seen and now quote daily.

Billy Nye Saves the World (Season 3): BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL!

Evil Genius (2018): Docu-series about the murder of Brian Wells, also known as the collar bomb case.

Deadpool 2 (2018): It’s not better than the first one, but it was a breath of fresh air in the superhero fatigue I’m in.

Born in China (2017): Nature documentary focusing on some of China’s most famous animals, narrated by my boo John Krasinski.

Death Becomes Her (1992): Ridiculous and good camp.

The Girl Can’t Help It (1956): A fairly good fluff film about the entertainment industry with a solid fucking soundtrack.

Bell, Book, and Candle (1958): My aesthetic.

Near Dark (1987): A refreshingly different vampire movie with Bill Paxton shining in the center of it all.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Season 4): I wish this entire show was just Titus.

Chef’s Table (Season 1): Glorious, glorious food and the methods of the people who make it.

Chef’s Table (Season 2): I can’t get enough of this series. But it just makes me sad none of these restaurants are down the street from me.

Chef’s Table (Season 3): This season includes Jeong Kwan. And I would die for her.

Arrested Development (Season 5): Sigh. I guess this is fine.

Ocean’s 8 (2018): Not my favorite heist movie. Not gay enough. Still a decent sit.

The Staircase (2018): The docu-series returned this year with new episodes. It’s a very back and forth issue for me.

Queer Eye (Season 2): This is the only show that matters anymore.

The Incredibles 2 (2018): Not a bad sequel. Very entertaining and I laughed a lot. Not a lot of the usual Pixar emotion, however.

Carmen Esposito: Rape Jokes (2018): I haven’t had a cathartic laugh this good since Tig Notaro’s Live.

Chef’s Table (Season 4): I’m crying because it’s all so beautiful.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018): I cried throughout this entire, lovely, tender-hearted documentary about a perfect man.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018): I left in the last 20 minutes to get an alcoholic beverage and didn’t return because fuck it, I was so damn bored.

A Star is Born (1976): Eh, at least we got Evergreen out of this.

Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017): This revitalized my respect for the woman.

Breathless (1960): I can see how this was so influential. Very romantic and wonderful outfits.

Tag (2018): I laughed so hard, and I haven’t enjoy a straight-up recently released comedy in so long.

Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960): Can’t lie, at the 40 minute mark, I couldn’t believe there was another full hour of this slog left and turned it off.

Nailed It (Season 1): Comedic genius.

Nailed It (Season 2): Let Nicole Byers host everything.

Black Sunday (1960): May I present to you, my new favorite movie. It has everything I need.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974): Wow. Wow wow wow. Why did they remake this movie? This version was perfect and so, so superior in every way. I think I cried at one point?

Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922): A documentary with excellent reenactments that made me think, “How’d this get past the Hays’ Code?!!?” before realizing it was an import.

Whitney (2018): Documentary about the woman herself with the people who were there with her through it all. I’m shocked by some of the things people admitted to on-camera and that they got Bobby to say anything at all. Denial runs deep. It was excellent to see her live shows on the big screen.

The Vietnam War (2017): An 18-hour documentary series that follows every year and major milestone of the war. Very bipartisan, honest, and I learned a lot.

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018): Legitimately entertaining and a great refresh from Infinity War (which I hated).

The Witches (1966): Joan Fontaine is in the midst of a small-town conspiracy when she moves in as the new school teacher. Spoiler! The answer is the occult.

Jim Jefferies: This is Me Now (2018): Not bad, but didn’t encourage me to find another of his specials. It’s fine.

Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018): Challenge the form more!! This was so inspiring.

Growing Up Wild (2016): Disneynature division really needs new footage. Daveed Diggs was at least a great narration choice.

Sorry to Bother You (2018): Not at all what I was expecting -- although I did expect to like it and that was indeed met. I want to tell you nothing. Go in blind.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018): How do these movies continue to be the best thing Sandler is attached to in near a decade?? They honestly retain the level of quality film to film. I love it all.

Iliza Shlesinger: Elder Millennial (2018): I cried I laughed so hard.

Paint Your Wagon (1969): Clint Eastwood singing!! Polyamorous cowboys!!

Mission: Impossible -- Fallout (2018): I want more action movies like this. The stunts and fights were just so beautiful. I can’t express how great this movie is and how well it works in the genre. I wish there were more like this.

Eighth Grade (2018): One of the more honest teenage-centric films about being a teenager in recent memory. So cathartic. So proud of Bo Burnham.

Grace and Frankie (Season 1): I literally love everyone more in this entire cast.

Grace and Frankie (Season 2): Powering through because I’m still waiting for my shows to come back and I’m watching it between episode breaks from Black Mirror to lighten my mood.

Dark Tourist (Season 1): It’s horrifying in about 40% of the cases for me; but god does it make me want to travel again.

The Meg (2018): Do you want to see Jason Statham fight a fuckign shark?! Of course you do. This was genuinely a fun film to watch.

BlacKkKlansman (2018): Spike Lee’s best in years. Beautiful filmmaking.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018): I loved this so goddamn much. This is what a good romantic comedy looks like. More like this, please, Hollywood. Romcoms can be good, respected, and worthy of praise if the effort is there!!

Black Mirror (Series 1): Well, shit. The first episode was overhyped to me but overall, I’m not disappointed in waiting so long to finally start this.

Black Mirror (Series 2): This show is fucking addictive.

Grace and Frankie (Season 3): This show is so pure and funny.

Black Mirror (Series 3): Contains my favorite episode I’ve ever watched of anything ever. 

Black Mirror (Series 4): Give. Me. Mooooore!!!

Sylvia Plath: Inside The Bell Jar (2018): A short documentary about Plath’s life surrounding her writing of her famous book.

Destination Wedding (2018): Two of my favorite people act out what is quite possibly what would be designed to be my life were it suddenly a romantic comedy. Love is stupid! I’m a cynic and happy in my cynicism! ...BUUUUT.

Searching (2018): This is like a very well-done, well-acted, well-budgeted ID channel original movie. I had a great time watching it.

Grace and Frankie (Season 4): I hope I have as much game as Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin do when I’m their age.

Black Narcissus (1947): Absolutely beautiful technicolor and impending dread. But then BOOM! 1940s blackface.

Night of the Eagle (1962): Delightfully bizarre.

Slice (2018): Modern B movie. I loved the concept more than the execution: I loved the ensemble so much, but they somehow didn’t have enough of any of them in it.

Leave Her to Heaven (1945): The Original Amazing Amy!

A Simple Favor (2018): I am so excited about how unexpectedly fun, entertaining, and even compelling this film was.

Sharp Objects (Mini-Series): A tough, but addicting sit. I watched the entire series in one go.

Strong Enough to Break (2006): The behind the scenes documentary of Hanson being put on hold by their record company for a three-year span which lead to frustrations and the eventual formation of their independent company.

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018): This movie wasn’t bad. But I feel like I’ve seen and read better takes on this type of story/stories before.

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972): Harold, they’re lesbians. 

RBG (2018): An awe-inspiring individual receiving the documentary she deserves.

White Zombie (1932): Bela Lugosi puts a voodoo curse on Madge Bellamy. 

Castle Rock (Season 1): I sincerely hope this is a sign of the times that the success of IT is going to bring about more and more Stephen King-inspired media.

The Haunting of Hill House (Season 1): Please please PLEASE don’t do a second season. This was so cathartic and splendid on its own.

The Mummy (1932): I grew up with the Brendan Fraser one, but this was just delightful.

The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (Season 1): Quite possibly my favorite tv watch of the year.

Love, Gilda (2018): Documentary taking a look at the life of Gilda Radner with lots of lovely, private home videos. My favorites were of her and Gene together.

The Exorcist (1973): Yes. My first time watching it from beginning to end and in full. It’s an entertaining sit for the acting and practical effects!

Hush (2016): I already ranted about this on my Twitter, but god this was patronizing and horribly cast. It had such potential so it was vastly disappointing. 

Dog Soldiers (2002): This is the perfect example of how if I’m told the ending, I just don’t find any enjoyment in watching it. Sigh.

Ghost Stories (2017): And this is the perfect example that if you overdo the slow burn, I’m going to pull up the film’s Wikipedia summary and spoil myself so I don’t have to sit through it anymore.

Fahrenheit 451 (2018): It’s too bad this wasn’t good. Lost a lot of its nuance. 

Halloween (2018): THIS IS EVERYTHING I WANT OUT OF A HORROR MOVIE/SEQUEL. I LOVED EVERYTHING. I LOVED EVERYONE. I LOVE YOU SO DAMN MUCH, JAMIE LEE CURTIS.

Like Father (2018): The only good part was the acting in the scene between Kristen Bell and Kelsey Grammer at the waterfall. The rest was just an obvious 1990s script dusted off. Complete with minority stereotypes that have nothing better to do with their lives than to help the poor, messy white girl.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018): I always get so, super excited when I find a good romantic comedy. This is wholesome, relies on clichés but makes them its own, has wonderful characters played by great actors, and I cannot wait for the sequel.

Solo (2018): Forgettable.

Suspiria (2018): It had a rocky start, but I believe this very well could make my end of the year list. I adored 94% of it.

Corrina, Corrina (1994): They should have leaned into the romance more.

Bonjour Tristesse (1958): GOD Jean Seberg was GORGEOUS. 

Jane the Virgin (Season 1): I finally got spoiled by something pretty big, so I gave up not searching the tags for this show and putting these out of sequence -- I love this show. It’s right up there for me with Parks and Recreation, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. There is no character I dislike unless specifically, unequivocally written for me to. It’s so engaging and charming and hits all of my requisites to be loyal to a show ‘til the end.

Jane the Virgin (Season 2): Team Michael and trying to catch up before the final season premieres.

Nailed It! Holiday! (2018): God I’m crying with laughter. Nicole Byer should be so much more famous.

Jane the Virgin (Season 3): Almost caught up and loving it!

On the Basis of Sex (2018): My favorite movie to see on Christmas. Well acted. Well paced. Loved RBG’s cameo at the end. I think it was a great depiction.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018): It was fun in the moment, but the more I sit with it, the less I remember of this movie -- much like the songs as soon as the next scene happened. It’s such a tall order to follow up Mary Poppins. Emily Blunt is dipped in gold as usual, but it’s sort of a middle tier installment in the new line of Disney remakes/reboots. Great dancing and spectacle. But just okay overall.

Creed II (2018): Now if you’re just gonna do the same thing over and over with new generations, this is how you do it. 

Widows (2018): My last movie of the year. Such great performances. I wish there was more to see with the female cast -- this would have been great as a limited series (such as the one it’s based on).

2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

[cindythejedi]

Blogger’s Note: I’ll apologize ahead of time for the fact that while I’ve seen this movie a few times, it’s not old enough to have gained my refined eye… With the other movies, I’ve fit them into my Episode narrative and every time I watch them, it’s with more attention on a different aspect. Rogue One is not even a year old yet- so I’m not as familiar but here goes! To borrow a phrase from my favorite show on TV now, “Let’s Rock!”

What They Did Right: This is the first anthology film. This has never been done before in Star Wars. If this movie sucked then it’s unlikely more anthology movies would follow. I think it’s pretty well done, especially the end half. It’s nostalgic and exciting, and heart wrenching at the same time. I think it’s funny that there’s a meme out there that said, “Pictures released from Rogue One’s sequel” with pictures from A New Hope. There are many layers to the hilarity because A New Hope was the FIRST Star Wars film, and this comes directly before it. Another thing is that people were like, “Don’t spoil the ending.” And I’m like, “If you’ve seen A New Hope, you already know how it ends. Were you shocked when you watched TITANIC and the ship sank?” now, granted- you wouldn’t know what became of the characters, but that’s its own thing. Moving on…

They introduce you to the heroic team that got the Death Star plans to Princess Leia. You see all they went through to get the plans, and what people went through in the Rebellion- how there was hesitation and disagreement between the members of the Council. (I also think it’s interesting that they call it the Council which has a Jedi-like feel).

Baze and Chirrut! I loved them.

K-2SO was like a talking version of R2-D2 mixed with Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory with Han Solo’s snarky-ness.

While we know we’re watching something that takes place A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away; this movie had a real-world depiction of war so you get why it’s important to destroy the Death Star and the Empire a little more than just by watching the Episodes.

Seeing Bail Organa and Mon Mothma in this movie- just before Bail Organa goes home only to be blown up when the Death Star is used… It has a twinge of irony…

While it’s not the typical Star Wars film- it’s not an episode of the Skywalker Family Drama; it still feels like it belongs in the same universe.

Even though I have to say I didn’t care for the music as much in this one- I still liked it a lot. I liked the nods to the Force theme or the Imperial March that were put in there in the right scenes.

Seeing Darth Vader. He is just awesome and it gives me chills seeing him.

That scene where the Rebels on board the ship are desperately passing the hard-drive/ disk from person to person to get it to Princess Leia on the Tantive 4. Vader is just chopping them down- and it shows him as this angry person driven by hatred and purpose. Once Jyn started to change her opinion towards the Rebels, I was with her. We got to see Vader’s awesome lava planet castle. Even though it didn’t have subtitles for this one planet- we know it to be Mustafar which I’ve talked about in several of my theory posts. We see him chilling in a bacta tank- and even though its hard to see, we get a shot of his scarred head sort of like in The Empire Strikes Back when he’s in his meditation chamber. We see him Force Choke Krennic for a while until Krennic falls on the floor. We can see that he’s still feeling the effects of it later on. It’s good that they used Vader sparingly since Anakin/Vader has been in every movie either in body or in spirit (I’m talking about Kylo Ren having Vader’s helmet and the lightsaber Rey brings to Luke was Anakin’s lightsaber which Obi-Wan gave to Luke which Luke lost when Vader cut off his arm in Empire.) He’s so iconic that having him in it seemed natural. That whole last half of the film gave me chills and I remember that I watched it with my friends, Hannah and David- I was totally geeking out in my chair, hands impulsively clapping excitedly on my leg, and we’d share looks of delight. The ending was so sad, and tragic- but sort of joyous in a way. It definitely made me appreciate A New Hope a little more- that’s for sure. We see Tarkin. I don’t know why but recognizing his foul stench made me happy… When I read the novel and the novel that’s meant as a prequel to the movie Catalyst, it helped the movie make a little more sense and I was actually more invested in the characters. I thought it was funny that the team and the movie are named Rogue One- and in Empire, we see a pilot rescue Han and Luke- his call sign, he says- is Rogue Two… (that was a second-time- watching revelation). There was something fresh about this film, and it was very interesting to watch. — What They Did Wrong A lot of these are probably ones you’ve heard before, but I happen to agree with the complaints or comments that others have made regarding this film. The first act is a little slow. While I think the scene on Eadu provides Jyn much needed emotional closure, it is sort of anticlimactic from a dramatic point of view. Jyn is a passive protagonist until the last part of the movie, and sometimes her reactions aren’t those of what would happen logically in that circumstance. We’re sort of dropped into her life as an adult after seeing her as a kid. She’s in prison and we don’t exactly find out why until later. She is really angry with The Rebels but we can tell she doesn’t agree with the Empire either. We however don’t really know what she DOES believe in. We’re never told or shown. A lot of the end is really depressing. (But I expected that honestly) Bor Gullet and the whole thing surrounding him. Bodhi defects and brings the message- Saw doesn’t believe him and then after exposing him to Bor Gullet, he still doesn’t believe Bodhi- so all we really know is that Saw Gerrara doesn’t trust people… not that I blame him…

Krennic’s callousness towards Galen and his family. I know he’s an Imperial officer, but Galen was one of his friends back in the day and Krennic used him, and took credit for a lot of the things Galen did… then he has Galen’s wife, Lyra shot… I don’t know- something about that bothered me for more than one reason. The whole trip to Jedha seemed a little pointless or anticlimactic and it feels like they botched the mission. First, they got captured by the Imperials and then by Saw’s people. When the actual message is lost and Jyn tells the team what it said, Cassian doesn’t believe her. The whole mission to kill Galen Erso seemed a little (for lack of a better word), mean. Sure, he helped develop the Death Star and its weapon, but he didn’t commission it, and he didn’t use it on anyone… and killing him seems a little harsh… I know Cassian didn’t end up killing him, but still- he died, and it seemed extremely unfeeling and callous to kill Jyn’s father with her in their group. And then it’s like he’s mad at her for being upset with him… Everyone is so against Jyn when she gives them the fatal flaw in the Death Star’s design. They don’t believe her and they chicken out… funny enough- it DOES sort of line up to many characters’ arcs-especially in Star Wars- so I guess I can live with it, and I get why they’d be skeptical. Most of the time, the hero ignores or pushes away their call to action. When Obi-Wan tried to get Luke to go with him in Episode 4, Luke initially refused and then changed his mind when his aunt and uncle died at the hands of the Empire. Rey wouldn’t take the lightsaber when Maz offered it to her… Over all, I think it’s main flaw is just that it’s long and the first half is long and almost uneventful when you consider the last half of the movie is jam-packed with action, adventure, emotion, and resolution to the main plot. All this being said, I appreciate Episode 4 more now, and I am excited for this new set of anthology films coming out. I think we will learn so much more about our favorite saga!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blogger’s Note: I’ll apologize ahead of time for the fact that while I’ve seen this movie a few times, it’s not old enough to have gained my refined eye… With the other movies, I’ve fit them into my Episode narrative and every time I watch them, it’s with more attention on a different aspect.