Showing posts with label television shows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label television shows. Show all posts

Sunday, April 8, 2018

The Walking Dead Do Not Send Us Astray and Still Gotta Mean Something

Photo Credit: AMC / Gene Page
The Hilltop Colony is ready for whatever the Sanctuary throws at them, but they might not be that prepared for a few extra deadly tricks they have up their sleeve. It's the Sanctuary's move in this All-Out-War, but will it be enough to take down our communities once and for all? Below includes spoilers of the series' eight seasons so far and recaps for episode thirteen Do Not Send Us Astray and episode fourteen Still Gotta Mean Something. You've been warned but hope you enjoy!

Sunday, March 25, 2018

The Walking Dead 08x12 The Key

Photo Credit: AMC / Gene Page
Clinging to victory over Negan, the community's leaders are facing some of their biggest challenges yet: providing for their fellow survivors to ensure a better future. An odd proposition in trust catches Maggie by surprise. A chance to eliminate Negan from the equation is too tempting for Rick to pass up. And, one of Negan's right-hand man takes advantage of an opportunity to get ahead. Below includes spoilers of the series' eight seasons so far. You've been warned but hope you enjoy!

Friday, March 23, 2018

The X-Files (2018) Struggles To Keep Its Legacy Going

The X-Files season eleven television review
Photo Credit: Fox
After fourteen years of waiting for The X-Files to return, its initial reboot in 2016 wasn't the greatest. While it was great catching up with Mulder and Scully as they thwarted Cigarette Smoking Man's bit for world destruction, the highly anticipated tenth season was a bumpy start. A question weighed on the fandom's mind: could the series eclipse the disappointment with season eleven? Below includes spoilers of The X-Files series so far. You've been warned but hope you enjoy!

Friday, March 16, 2018

The Walking Dead The Lost and the Plunderers & Dead or Alive or

The Walking Dead The Lost and the Plunderers
Photo Credit: AMC / Gene Page
The Walking Dead has lost its beacon of hope. The leaders of Alexandria Rick Grimes and Michonne now have to find a new way to contend with their path ahead. Will they take the messages of their loss to heart? Or continue to veer into a bloodshed war against Negan? Below includes spoilers of the series' eight seasons so far for episode nine The Lost and the Plunderers and episode ten Dead or Alive or. You've been warned but hope you enjoy!

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

5 Reasons To Finally Quit The Walking Dead

5 Reasons To Finally Quit The Walking Dead
It's easy to write that I love The Walking Dead, but there might not be enough words for me to adequately show how much. For the past eight years, a part of my fangirl heart and brain has lived and breathed this show - its songs, its special moments, its amazing female characters, the recaps and anticipation of a new season on the horizon. But there comes a time where it's too painful or disappointing to watch the show decline beyond repair and the idolization chips away.

While The Walking Dead is still one of the most popular shows, fans have been dropping in droves for quite sometime. Lately, I've become a fan who's made justifications for why I still watch it: The worldbuilding isn't too bad. The earlier seasons are still great. There's still hope for something to change. But as season eight hits the half-way mark, and there's no going back after its unpredictable turn-of-events with major characters, I finally have enough gripes towards one of my all-time faves that I have to acknowledge them.

As a show I've been a hardcore fan of since the beginning, it's gut-wrenching to ponder saying good-bye out of my own free-will rather than the show officially ending in a blaze of glory. But the show has struggled to be consistent or return to the elements that used to make it so great for far too long. I don't want to quit something I love so much, but here are five reasons it's finally time. Are you sticking around for season nine? Let me know in the comments below!

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

6 Best Rick and Carl Grimes Moments on The Walking Dead

Rick and Carl Grimes Moments The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead has always been about family; people from all walks of life who would've never met otherwise and trying to survive what the zombie apocalypse throws at them. But there's no bond bigger in the series than the one between Rick and Carl Grimes - a father trying to protect and keep his son alive by any means necessary. There's almost too many heartfelt, important moments between the two to list them all, but here's my take on the best of Rick and Grimes from The Walking Dead. (This post includes major spoilers of all the seasons so far!) Is this list missing one of your favorite scenes? Feel free to share in the comments below.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

10 Best Performances by Andrew Lincoln on The Walking Dead

The Best of Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead started with a sheriff waking up from a coma into the zombie apocalypse. After locating his family Rick Grimes became the leader among fellow survivors trying to live within the walking dead. and other survivors try to live among the walking dead.

What would AMC's hit television show be like without Andrew Lincoln? Since the beginning he's given the the fiercely protective papa bear, killer, and mercenary a questionable morality and enduring sympathy unlike any other that could've played him. When the storylines are intense, Lincoln goes all in guns blazing. When the storm calms down, Lincoln can be inspiring or heartbreaking, just as we expect Grimes to be. No matter the changes thrown towards his character, Lincoln manages his biggest struggles: to be an effective leader, to keep Team Family alive while watching some of them die, to relinquish living in a world of death, and determine what it means to be a human.

Sure, he can grow one hell of beard, and still look hot when he's covered in literal grime and guts, but it's been an awesome journey to see Rick adjust his ideas of law and order in order to protect his family. Despite the great, and sometimes plotholed-fill direction of the show, Lincoln delivers a great performance year after year. To celebrate this hero and anti-hero, here is a list of my favorite performances. (This post includes major spoilers of all the seasons so far!) What episodes do you consider to be the Best of Rick Grimes? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Saturday, January 6, 2018

The Walking Dead 08x08 How It's Gotta Be

Photo Credit: AMC / Gene Page
Rick tries to make an alliance with Jadis and her trashheap crew, while the rest of Alexandria wants to take Negan out immediately after believing crucial members of The Kingdom have been killed. Tara and Daryl enact a plan of their own against the Saviors which backfires, leaving the communities to deal with a surprising ambush by Negan.

Below includes spoilers of the series' eight seasons so far. You've been warned but hope you enjoy!

Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017 Year In Review: Television Shows

Another year has come and gone, and so has plenty of great tv shows. While I plan on catching up on so many that debuted this year in 2018, this is a Best and Worst List of TV in 2017. Some of my picks were newly released this year, and some are just new-to-me. From celebrating a fictional character's death to favorite ships, you'll find a lot of different categories below that I hope you enjoy.

I don't believe this post is particularly spoilerish, but I'll give a warning for the following shows just in case: The X-Files, Once Upon A Time, Big Little Lies, The Walking Dead, Bates Motel, Daredevil, This Is Us, Luke Cage, Feud, The Punisher. Thanks for tuning in! Here's to another round of fangirling next year!

Saturday, December 9, 2017

The Walking Dead 08x07 Time For After

Photo Credit: AMC
The line has been drawn between Saviors and Alexandria, but loyalties are tested as the hammer is starting to crack down on going through with the all-out war. As Rick tries to appeal to the trash heapster's community for a stronger alliance, Negan wants to know who has betrayed while walkers flood their gates. It's time for another recap of The Walking Dead latest episode.

Below includes spoilers of the show and comic book, theories of who might be killed off. You've been warned but hope you enjoy!

Season eight promised us an all-out war between the communities, but it's time to deliver action and intrigue has been slow-going - to say the least. In the eleventh hour of the new season, episode seven seems to follow in the same glacial pace as the prior two seasons. Someone has betrayed the Sanctuary, and every episode "it's time to find out who that is", as AHK (Alexandria, Hilltop Colony and Kingdom) fight for a better future.

Sunday, November 26, 2017

The Walking Dead 08x05 The Big Scary U

Photo Credit: AMC
While the communities have been dealing with tragedy during their invasion of the Sanctuary, a few of the apocalypse's biggest enemies and worst traitors have been sitting pretty, or as pretty as it can get when they're backed into a corner. Father Gabriel was left trapped with Negan, while Simon, Dwight, and Eugene begin to suspect each other and other Saviors of betraying their leader. It's time for another recap of The Walking Dead's latest episode!

Below includes spoilers of the show and comic book. You've been warned, but hope you enjoy!

Monday, November 20, 2017

Stranger Things 2 (2017) Channels an Awkward Phase

Photo Credit: Netflix
In 2016, Stranger Things became easily one of the most binge-worthy, obsession-inducing shows in recent history. Building characters into tropes only to shatter them in a world mixing Stephen King mystery and Steven Spielberg adventure made every episode THE BEST THING EVER. The fanbase's love of the cast and jaw-dropping cliffhangers understandably set up its future with the impossible task to follow in its predecessor's huge footsteps. Stranger Things 2 has critics and fans talking again, but this time, it's not exactly for the best reasons.

Returning to Hawkins, Indiana, one year after a young boy Will Byers is found safe and sound following a terrifying disappearance, supernatural elements continue to burst at the seams. The Byers family and a young girl with telepathic powers, Eleven, have managed to rescue the boy out of the Upside Down, but the same can't be same about him or their small town.

While season one was so meta to the eighties, filled to the brink with easter eggs and homages, the story managed to create its own iconic imagery. Everything from the opening song to moments of Eleven and her love of Eggos and Joyce communicating through Christmas lights - to name a few- gobbled the world whole with cosplaying, memes, and artistic tributes. Balancing three different storylines and sets of characters, the full plot centered on finding out more about the Upside Down and Eleven's mysterious abilities plays out like massive quest to slay the beast and be rescued by the princess. We went along with everyone's moves, but never knew exactly what was lurking around the corner.

Now, in season two, the show's creators relaxes on subtle (or obvious) homages so much, it makes one wonder if they ran out of steam, inspiration or both. Underneath the misshapen writing, elements that made the show so successful in the first place like the loveable characters and retro worldbuilding still exists, but unfortunately, lets that unique blend of science-fiction, horror, and nostalgia slip into the void.

Netflix's self-generated hype using horror-inspired posters and the trailer featuring Michael Jackson's iconic Thriller feels misleading. The story continues to further beloved, established relationships along, but doesn't create many exciting inferences to its inspired era nor memorable moments of its own. As characters are still broken up into multiple storylines about Will, Eleven, JUSTICE FOR BARB, and the Upside Down, they all feel separate, never completely melding with each other. Downplaying an aim to recreate the first season's King/Spielberg dynamic, this return to Hawkins is much more like a visit to simple nowhere town (that could even be set in our time period) where some weird stuff's going on.

While the story is more or less a repeat of season one with more visible monsters instead of one mostly lurking in the shadows, old and new characters slightly shift ahead but still remain a little of the same. Allowing the characters to evolve a la Harry Potter at least one year at a time, the boxes they're put into gives them plenty of room to grow for future seasons.

On the upside, Hopper becomes Eleven's surrogate father, and hey, parenting a telepathic bad-ass isn't easy; Joyce finds a warm relationship with Bob ("newcomer" Sean Astin), who may be the father figure Will and Jonathan deserve. On the downside: Nancy's gungho on serving justice to Barbra through a conspiratorial journalist but is still stuck in a love triangle, so yeah Jonathan's still around; Max, a new student at school takes up the mantle as the next girl to be reluctantly welcomed into the boy's club (atypically replacing Eleven), while her abusive brother Billy won't go away for the life of us. Adding newer characters to the mix, one would hope that they are interesting and worthy of precious screentime, but mostly come across as just existing, making us wish established characters had more time to develop.

What primarily does work for Stranger Things 2 are a few characters getting more fleshed out, becoming emotional anchors to the widening threat of the Upside Down. Will, who was mostly a gooey icicle in season one, experiences heartbreaking bouts of PTSD, making his connection to the beyond far more terrifying than we imagined. Eleven, who was previously an interesting character but Carrie on crack, becomes more humanized through her backstory. And finally, Steve sheds his possessive hormonal boyfriend front to be a big brother for the boys. The entire cast's talent still offers that absolute magic with their chemistry, transforming the 'typical mystery' vibes to feel as fresh as it used to.

With the monumental success of Stranger Things's first season, and the warm reception to its return, any follow-up would have difficult stepping out of its own extraordinary shadow. Season two's episode-to-episode arc is messy, but by the end, the story ties up neatly enough to be satisfying. Transitioning out of the global hit it was, its cast offers fine performances (awards for Noah Schnapp please) full of comedy, love, and heartache. Stranger Things 2 might've not been the exciting sequel it could've been, but the final results aren't the worst thing in the world. We have reality to hold up that mantelpiece, and Hawkins is still a welcome escape - even if it's just channeling an awkward phase right now.

Rating: ★★☆
Have you watched Stranger Things 2?
What did you think?

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

The Walking Dead 08x04 Some Guy

Gene Page / AMC
On the hunt for weapons and to take down any Savior no questions asked, the communities came together against the Sanctuary. But everything didn't go as planned. The Kingdom came across an unexpected weapon cutting King Ezekiel's unbreakable optimism down to size, while The Hilltop Colony deals with unsuspecting visitors. It's time for another recap of The Walking Dead's latest episode!

Below includes spoilers of the show and comic book. You've been warned, but hope you enjoy!

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

The Walking Dead 8X02 The Damned

Jackson Lee Davis /AMC
The Walking Dead's season premiere was just the start of a long war waged against Negan. Alexandria, The Hilltop Colony and the Kingdom took their trained civilians straight to the Sanctuary to fight, upping their game with an explosive zombie hoard. As Father Gabriel finds himself stranded in a shed with Negan, the community's plans are far from over.

Below includes spoilers of the show and comic book, as well as theories of future character deaths. You've been warned, but hope you enjoy!

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

The Walking Dead 08x1 Mercy

The Walking Dead Season Eight Premiere AMC
Gene Page / AMC
The Walking Dead has crossed a monumental finishing line in television, hitting 100 episodes for the series so far. Mercy kicks off the starting point, not only for the next era of the series after eight compelling years, but the war holding strong between territories. Last season, a beloved character's sacrifice for the greater good catapulted the battle from Alexandria, The Hilltop and The Kingdom, all the way to the Sanctuary.

Below includes spoilers of the show and comic book, as well as theories of future character deaths. You've been warned, but hope you enjoy!

Sunday, October 22, 2017

20 Favorite Episodes of The Walking Dead

One of my all-time favorite shows The Walking Dead has hit its monumental 100th episode! For eight years, we've seen epic walker kills, learned how not to be walker bait, and witnessed beloved characters' deadly fates, surviving some of the worst a zombie apocalypse could deliver. After ranking my favorite seasons, quotes by the cast and Rick Grimes, Glenn Rhee moments, I thought it'd be a perfect time to cover myself in walker guts and go down a brutal memory lane.

In an effort to not repeat myself, some episodes are reserved for my favorite Rick-Grimes centered episodes, and there's probably a lot more I could give honorable mentions. But these are my top twenty favorites (so far). P.S. Reviews of the new season will be returning as a weekly feature on Wednesdays!

Happy 100th Episode The Walking Dead! (SPOILERS BELOW) What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments!

Friday, September 15, 2017

Old Vs New: 4 TV show Remakes Compared with the Originals

The landscape of television is always changing, and sometimes that prompts networks to bring back some old favorites to revamp. Welcoming in my first guest post writer, Katie takes a look at a few old vs new tv shows, and shares her thoughts on the contemporaries and originals. Take it away fellow Katie!

Sometimes network execs should let sleeping dogs lie. Like those holiday destinations we loved as a child and drag our own children around now; we should never return. The town looks old and forgotten and they’re serving microwave pizza and month-old chips rather than freshly fried churros and candy-floss as big as our heads.

The remake is a many faceted beast. It can find new heights and try something new and fresh and it speaks to a whole new generation. Or, like Frankenstein’s monster, it wakes up and we suddenly wish it hadn’t. Perhaps they hadn’t thought this through.

But amongst so many car-crashes, there are some returns that are worthy of the memory. What are you favorite or least favorite tv show reboots? Let us know in the comments below!

Friday, July 28, 2017

5 Favorite Moments at SDCC 2017

The geekiest weekend on the calendar known as San Diego Comic Con has come and gone. Fandom across the galaxies and comic book universes was lit as studios delivered sneak peaks for some of the most anticipated movies and tv shows. There was so much to look out for and get excited about for the next year (or more). These were my five favorite announcements from SDCC. What trailers or teasers excited you the most? Feel free to share in the comments!

Bright on Netflix

"Humans, Orcs, Elves... everybody is just trying to get along. Get ready for the world of Bright", seems to be a wild new movie ready to drop on Netflix in November.

*By the director of Suicide Squad* I'm out.
*stars Will Smith* YAAASSSSSS.

I went from mildly disinterested to LET'S DO THIS in about five seconds.

The Defenders

Four of Marvel's biggest misfits are coming together to stop a villainous sect from destroying NYC. Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist are facing off against the sci-fi queen herself Sigourney Weaver. Sign me up! We're also finally seeing the Punisher in his full costume, sparking even more excitement for Jon Bernthal's first season as the anti-hero Frank Castle.

Stranger Things Season 2

Netflix promised the next descent into the upside down would be bigger and more bad-ass than ever before. The thrilling new trailer for season two definitely proved that. There's even more eighties nostalgia as everyone deals with opening the curiosity door. I know where I'll be this Halloween!

Thor: Ragnarok trailer

So this is what a Marvel movie on crack looks like! The Hulk and Thor duel in gladiatorial games while trying to stop Hela ( goddess of death played by queen Cate Blanchett) from destroying Asgard. Oh, and Jeff Goldblum 'cause why not.

Black Panther trailer

When the trailer above dropped a few months ago for Black Panther's solo flick, I was already stoked. At San Diego Comic Con, Marvel released a trailer with new footage which sparked an adorable, ecstatic reaction from the cast and a standing ovation from the fans in attendance. It's said to be one of the craziest best reactions for a first-reveal. I can't wait to see it eventually. February 2018 can't come soon enough!

Thursday, June 15, 2017

The Arrangement (2017) Season 1 Review

The Arrangement season review
When we're getting ready for summer or going on a vacation, we usually take along a trashy book to read to kick back and relax. E! channel's tabloidesque drama The Arrangement is a tv-version of those addictive pageturners, and its simple cheesiness has me hooked.

Aspiring actress Megan Morrison (Christine Evangelista) auditions for a lead role in a Jason-Bourne-esque action flick starring opposite A-List hunk Kyle West (Josh Henderson). Their sizzling chemistry-at-first-sight inspires his team to present a $10 million marriage contract, which includes West's close ties to his self-help guru Terence Anderson (Michael Vartan) and his Institute of the Higher Mind. Acting more like a Big Brother cult than a competent health-based center, the new couple is quickly challenged by IHM's control and the minutiae of living in the public eye.

E! channel touting their original series as similar to Fifty Shades of Grey might not be the right foot to start off with, especially for those who don't like the E.L. James' novels or films. The two general premises have a lot of common both in the worst and best way. For the former, The Arrangement features a general contract, the tacky dialogue, and silly side-plots. For the latter, it has luxurious production design and the actors do the best with what they're given.

Thankfully unlike Fifty Shades's Ana and Christian, this duo has a lot of issues to deal with, and none of them come close to abusive behavior passed off as "BDSM" or inner goddesses. Problems from Morrison's disturbing past comes back to haunt the contract's "morality clause" as she tries to navigate this crazier side of Hollywood, while West struggles with superficiality versus authenticity as a person and an actor. Standing in the middle of their relationship is IHM, which she doesn't fully trust, and ultimately creates the creepy suspense around this fantastical 'romance' and the cult-like organization West is fully involved in.

Most of us know Hollywood isn't perfect because scandals slip through the cracks all the time. One of the series's biggest sources of highly-theorized inspiration was  Katie Holme's marriage to Tom Cruise and the influence of Scientology which led to its demise. The show coyly cashes in not on how actors market and brand themselves but which all-seeing, all-knowing Powers That Be wield its power over Tinseltown. With humor (intentional or otherwise), a flair for drama, and suspense, it takes what we think we know of the entertainment industry - feuds, deals falling apart, scandals created for publicity or to cover up other juicier scandals, Scientology - and leaves us wondering what actually goes on behind the scenes.

A big reason why this show works is its leading lady Christine Evangelista and her compelling performance in every episode. Realistically, her character is too easily influenced to just sign her life away because West is good in the sheets. Her career needs a serious upgrade and she has the talent to go far, so when the opportunity presents itself (aka the money and hot guy), it seems like a good deal. Quickly, Morrison has to adjust to the convenience her new life brings - travel, wardrobe, a new boyfriend - and face the sacrifices she's made for a lack of privacy and the convenience IHM affords. This wild ride makes her question if her future is worth the expense of autonomy. Morrison's feisty, independent, and personable as hell, and Evangelista acts circles around the cheesy dialogue thrown at her. Both the actress and character are destined for stardom, and it's strange that her acting chops exceed what this show can be and also fits this particular bill. Henderson's West isn't given as much to do, but over time you can see why they were cast and make a convincing duo.

The Arrangement aims to be meta, and for the most part works, even if it's exceptionally corny and indulges in what we see through the grapevine online or at grocery stores. Evangelista and Henderson's chemistry is playful and fun, while the Institute's unethical operation delivers unexpected twists. If one would be looking to enjoy a show that doesn't take itself too seriously, sign on up for The Arrangement. It's a sweet deal.

Rating: ★★☆
Have you watched The Arrangement?

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Star Trek: Discovery Trailer Reaction

Unlike the trailer reactions usually reserved for movies, CBS dropped a new teaser for the highly anticipated Star Trek spin-off that I just couldn't want to tap my keys about.

Set ten years before Kirk and Spock embarked on adventures across the galaxies, Trekkers will join Michelle Yeoh and Sonequa Martin-Green aboard Star Trek: Discovery this fall. Even a Vulcan would get the feels for this trailer. Here it is in full!

This sneak peak comes swiftly after a series of grueling announcements from networks cleaning house and canceling television shows. Studios are now trying to entice viewers with fresh content to fill the void of long-gone favorites. No doubt about it, this trailer has gotten me really excited for fall.

Discovery is a prequel to the initial Star Trek series, but the similar camaraderie between the Starfleet crew permeates across time and space. Longtime Captain Philippa Georgiou (Yeoh) gives First Officer Michael Burnham (Green) an opportunity helm U.S.S. Discovery when they're entangled with the Klingon Empire. They're faced with the tough decisions of how to maintain their humanity, keep the peace, or engage in an unwanted war.

The first of my feels, or probably all of them, are struck with seeing two women command the starship alongside the other eclectic personalities on the bridge. More cast members include Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter), Rainn Wilson (The Office), and Anthony Rapp (Rent),  Not that the series hasn't had a female captain before, but who gets tired of seeing women helping other women succeed? Star Trek has always centered on the human (and non-human) condition first, and adventures set against space second. Fascinating issues will likely arise between the different species, and how they co-exist.

Star Trek: Discovery's first season will be told in fifteen episodes. Showrunner Bryan Fuller said that each episode is a chapter, within each chapter will be a beginning, middle, and end.” The writing team has sturdy experience with the Trek universe so far, with a myriad of credits from Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek: Into Darkness) to Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country).

What we know of the plot is that it's set in the Prime universe, closer to the original 1966 series instead of the Kelvin timeline for the recent movies starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. The appearance of Klingons have completely changed, not to mention that the production incorporates a lot of J.J. Abram's use of lens flare. Though Fuller's creation certainly has the technology to produce a budget-friendly production with impressive special effects, some fans might struggle to connect the dots of inspiration this tale is drawing from.

Details coming to light such as the starship's slick design, those iconic uniforms, and a new alien species which can sense death, hint that we're definitely in for an original expedition in a familiar era. With the story in mind and a unique cast of characters, it'll be fascinating to see what events link this prequel to the William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy starring game changer we know and love.

The first episode will premiere on CBS with all subsequent episodes becoming available on the channel's exclusive streaming service All Access. It will also be accompanied by a post-show called Talking Trek.

Are you guys ready to go boldly where Discovery voyages? What do you think?