I wasn’t a real fan with how I did my “January Wrap Up” post. It just felt… hollow, or at least devoid of emotion. It was just statistics. And that’s not me. So instead, I’m gonna change it up a little bit.
I wanna focus this month of what I’ve been watching.
Movies
I’m starting with movies because of one very good reason: I have only watched two movies in the past few weeks. One was a rewatch, and the other was something entirely new to me.
The “new” film was the 2016 film Hidden Figures. When the film originally released, both my mom and I wanted to see it, but our schedules never lined up to actually go. Then we made the decision to move, and if it wasn’t a Marvel film, we were saving the money by not going to the theater. By the time we got settled in California, I was checking streaming services almost monthly to see if it was out. And finally, it appeared on Disney+.
We both really enjoyed it! My mom is much more of a history buff than I am, and she was pleasantly surprised about how much was actually accurate. I really enjoyed how they presented the story without making it feel like it was being shoehorned down my throat. It was a very honest and well written movie, and I cannot recommend it enough.
As for our rewatch… After finishing a certain show I’ll be talking about later, I made the decision that I wanted to start at the beginning. So, the other night, I convinced Mom that we needed to rewatch the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the beginning. We were going to go in timeline order, but then it was decided that we also had to watch the credit scenes, so we’re following release order. And wow, I’d forgotten just how much Tony Stark had changed from his first appearance in Iron Man. But wow, does this film (mostly) hold up. I kept on having to remind myself that yes, this was 2008, no not everyone would have the smartphones of today. But wow, Rhodey’s flip phone made me laugh, especially when remembering Infinity War. Because reasons.
If anyone is curious, I’m not planning on chronicling every MCU film we watch. But we are planning on watching the major ones, and making liberal use of the fast forward button during certain films that we’re just not fans of (The Incredible Hulk, the first two Thor films, Ant-Man…) Again, just personal opinion. Maybe one of these days I’ll do a tier list or something.
Let me make a note of that…
Television
By far the thing I’ve been watching the most lately. Which, if you know me, is so insane it isn’t even funny.
So, we watched all of WandaVision. Now, before I lay out my personal opinion, let me be clear. I totally understand that there were massive production issues, brought upon due to the pandemic. I get it. Writing had to change, plans evolved as things continued to get worse, then better, then worse still. And I’m totally okay with it. That said…
I enjoyed it! I won’t say it’s my favorite thing that’s come out of the MCU, but it’s up there. Elizabeth Olsen is able to hold the weight of the show with ease, especially when all the revelations about Wanda slowly come out. There were some issues I took with some plot lines, especially a few threads that I felt were tied up too quickly, though again, COVID. I will say I totally freaked with the twins, and again during the Halloween episode.
The only real downside was that I didn’t really feel the payoff. This could have been due to the editing, or due to restrictions so that they couldn’t get it perfect, but I felt that there needed to be something… more, especially in the last episode. I’m doing my best to avoid spoilers here, so forgive the vague-ness.
I’d give it a high B, or even a low A. Almost perfect. I’m excited to see what the next Disney+ MCU show (Falcon and the Winter Soldier) will bring to the table.
I also gave Black Sails a try this month, though I didn’t get very far. For those who don’t know the show, Black Sails is a prequel to Treasure Island, airing from early 2014 until 2017 on Starz. I only watched the first episode before realizing that I really should read the book first… and then never got back to it. I also never read the damn book, but that’s because every copy from my library’s online app kept on coming through corrupted and unreadable. I guess the fates made it clear to give this one a pass. It was fine, but it just didn’t do anything for me.
The show that did do something however was 9-1-1, by far my newest hyperfixation. I’ve mentioned it a few times before that I was surprised how quickly I fell into this damn fandom. And fell is the right word. Within two weeks, I’ve watched every episode of the show, including the winter finale.
Here’s my thing about this show. I really enjoy pretty much all of the main characters. The writing is pretty good, though there are some obvious tv mistakes and logical leaps that just don’t work. The plot lines are also mostly well thought out, the abundance of natural disasters hitting LA notwithstanding. And a big thing I like is how they are portraying the pandemic, and making a point for the characters to wear masks, and separating characters for safety. It works.
I have only one really big reservation, which is the the latest episode. I don’t know if the normal writers took a break halfway through writing the B-plots (the firefam plots not relating to any of the emergencies they had to deal with). For one, they are pushing a romance plot for Eddie Diaz, which is going far too fast. And they missed a golden opportunity to have an important conversation with Eddie and his son about dating after loss. But no, they just have Christopher have a temper tantrum, hop in an Uber, and hightail it to Buck’s apartment, where he has (most of) the conversation. It just didn’t work as well as it should have. It’s possible that this was changed due to the rumored on set tension between the actors of Eddie and Buck, but I’m not sure. I don’t care about shipping them, which is the main ship in the fandom (but if it happens, I’ll be pleased). I just feel like this whole plot line is doomed to fail. The episode ends with Christopher just suddenly being ok with his father dating his former math teacher. Why.
Talking about Buck, he also has had a small arc the last two episodes that majorly didn’t sit well with me. He goes out for a COVID date with a woman, has the most awkward date in the world, and then discovers that this woman lives next door to him. This, I’m actually ok with. By the end of last episode, I figured it would be all wrapped up… and then Buck discovers, after he goes to apologize for the frankly terrible date, that his roommate Albert has slept with and is now with this woman. Wow. First off, no. Bro code, dude. You don’t sleep with someone your roommate has already gone on a date with. Two, communicate that you’re going to, if you’re going to do it in the first place! And then, the writers forced this double date on Buck with an ex from Season Two. It wasn’t… the best scene. At least there’s a decent wrap up, and perhaps she’ll be around as a friend for Buck, but hopefully not in a relationship. He doesn’t need it.
The other plot lines in this episode also weren’t great, but nowhere nearly as bad as the previous two. Chimney and Maddie clash about their birth plan, in which the writers leave the one brain cell these two share on the cutting room floor for half the episode, and Maddie basically is a moron. Hen and Karen found out that their foster daughter, Nia, will begin to be reunified with her birth mother, which is something that happens. It comes a bit out of nowhere, but it’s a plotline I don’t really remember seeing on TV, so I’m somewhat interested. Oh, and Albert still exists for some reason. He basically has no character except to be in the way. He can leave now. (No, seriously, his character arc isn’t working this season, which is primarily because of the rewrites due to COVID. And his character arc last season was so beyond boring anyway, so please, writers, take note.)
And I just realized I went on a three paragraph rant on one episode. Whoops.
For the record, most of the show doesn’t make me want to write multi-paragraph rants about dumb decisions that were probably made by the Powers That Be long before the writers were allowed freedom into the writer’s room. The characters are 3 dimensional and compelling, with storylines that enhance their backstories and personal lives. The emergencies are varied, but also have enough realism to them that they keep your interest, especially since most of the emergencies are inspired by real things that have happened around the country. And honestly, the fandom isn’t toxic, which is a major improvement over several of the fandoms I’ve been in recently. (Seriously, the reaction to the winter finale was amazing.)
It’s a good little show with some Fox-related issues. And now I have to watch the spinoff, because the discord is watching it and I just don’t have it in me to fight anymore. Curses. I will suffer through watching Rob Lowe, because apparently the rest of the cast doesn’t suck.
Conclusion
So, TV watching has taken over my life, which is a hundred kinds of weird. I honestly haven’t watched this many episodes of a television show since I was majorly into Criminal Minds or even Supernatural. It’s a change, but one that I’m actually welcoming.
I’m not really sure where I’m gonna go from here. Falcon and the Winter Soldier starts next Friday, but 9-1-1 is on a six week break, so I’m not sure. Maybe my movie backlog? Or perhaps jump into a couple recommended series that I haven’t seen in absolute years (Hawaii 5-0 or CSI NY)? Everything’s kinds up in the air right now.
We shall see where the viewership takes us.
Until next time!
