Category: Media Related

Entertainment Plans for the New Year – Blogmas 2025

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Let’s just say my plans for catching up with the movie and TV series I’m behind on this year didn’t work out. Like at all.

I had grand plans for 2025. Catch up on two series. Finally watch certain movies. Possibly get into a new show or three. And hell, maybe we’d be graced with The Old Guard 2 and I’d feel happiness again.

Well.

We got The Old Guard 2, and I still need another day before I talk about that. But that… that’s about it.

For some reason, this year is the year that I’ve basically watched nothing. Oh, sure. I watched the occasional episode of TV, or the random movie. And yes, I watched Survivor and The Amazing Race and Hell’s Kitchen. But that’s about it. It was like I just couldn’t sit down and focus on any of my goals. At least those goals.

So for 2026, I’m going to try again. Hopefully, with me attempting to commit to posting here at least once a week, I’ll be reminded of this. We shall see.

Rewatch the Marvel Cinematic Universe

One of the biggest goals my mom and I said this year was to finally rewatch a good majority of the MCU, and finally move forward. We haven’t done a damn thing. We actually stopped at Ms. Marvel (to my utter annoyance and fury) when it was first releasing, mostly because Mom was feeling really burnt out on marble. And I’ve been waiting for her.

Next year, all bets are off.

My goal is very simple. Rewatch a majority of the first three phases of the MCU. There’s certain films. I don’t feel like re-watching, such as the second Thor film, simply because I’m just not really in that type of mood. Others will be skipped for time. And I may not be able to watch Black Panther, but that’s just because I still cry about Chadwick passing. (That one, however, I will be trying.)

Once I get through Phase 3, I’m gonna skip a couple of the shows. I’ve seen WandaVision and loved it, as well as Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I don’t feel like I need to rewatch them again in their entirety. I may just look for clips online. I will rewatch the films, mostly because it feels like it has been a while since I’ve touched them. And of course, once I get to Ms. Marvel, I’m watching everything 100%.

Actually, this is another case of the “well, kinda.” I know that What If…? is canon, in some way. I won’t be watching it. It has nothing to do with the writing, where the voice cast or anything like that. It is simply because of the animation. It is just not an animation style that I enjoy watching, and it bothers my eyes. Don’t know why, don’t really care to find out. I will just have to make do with summaries. The same goes for Marvel Zombies, because again the animation bothers me, but also because I just don’t like zombies. Respect to anyone else who does, not for me.

I know there’s actually a lot that I have to catch up on. There’s been a decent amount of movies (of which I’ve managed to avoid most of the spoilers, shocker). And I know that some shows have been well received in others… Exist. But I do want to catch up. I may not make it by the time the new Spider-Man comes out, but I will make it for Doomsday.

I hope.

Catch Up on Everything Star Wars

I’m actually embarrassed by this.

I love Star Wars. I grew up with it. I watched the original trilogy many times, as well as the prequel trilogy, mostly because it was coming out while I was a teenager. Ensure, the animated clone war show was on TV right when I could’ve watched it.

Well… I basically only watched the nine main films and rogue one. That’s it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve wanted to watch more. I just never got around to it. And I really hate saying that because I had every opportunity to. So, in 2026 I will correct a mistake. I will catch up.

I have already made a spreadsheet of everything by release order, separated by seasons or film. I may end up just main lining each show, but this way I can keep track a little bit. I would love to finally catch up at some point this year. I would love to be able to say that the next Star Wars release is my goal. But I am also realistic in knowing that I probably won’t make that.

But it’s a goal. And maybe I can get somewhat close.

Other Smaller Goals

I’ll be honest, with two major cinematic universes to try to catch up on, plus the random Disney movie thrown in here or there, I didn’t want to make any other humongous plants for 2026. But I did make some small smaller ones.

There are several film franchises where I only watched a few of the films and they have continued on into the current year. A great example would be Jurassic Park. I still haven’t seen the newest one. I’d like to rewatch all the films in order and enjoy the newest one.

I also have basically loaded up my streaming watchlists on all of the major sites. I want to cut those down by half. Now I do have a caveat. If I buy the film or TV show as physical media, it can come right off the list. I don’t have to immediately watch it. I’m trying to build up my physical media collection this year. It’s a decent incentive in my mind.

Another thing I’d like to do is finally watch some of the anime that I have been sitting on. There are several series, newer, and older, that I have wanted to watch and just never put any time into. Some of these are 12 episode Classics, others are… OK. I kind of want to watch my hero academia. Either way, I want to at least watch a couple of anime by the end of the year. Will I make it? This one I might let slip. But it’s allowed. I have a lot I wanna do in 2026.

And finally, I have a goal that I have promised my mom. I will watch one of “her” films a month. I may watch more than one, but I will watch at least one. She and I don’t exactly have the same taste in a lot of our films. But it’s a good thing for me to at least know it’s important to know. The movies that have withstood the test of time, the ones that help shape the entertainment industry to what it is today. I can give her that, especially since she has to suffer through giving up the TV to me when I want to watch Star Wars.

Until then, happy watching!

Review the MCU: Marvel’s What If?

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

It occurred to me less than four hours before my mom and I planned to sit down and watch Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness that I forgot to watch something. And that something was actually important to little bits of the plot.

I skipped Marvel’s What If?

Now, I will admit this was initially skipped for two reasons: Mom doesn’t like “What If” storylines on a good day and refused to watch it, and I just wasn’t feeling the animation. However, in the leadup to Doctor Strange 2, I heard from the grapevine that actually watching some of the episodes of What If was actually somewhat important.

So, we’ve pushed watching Doctor Strange 2 off until Sunday night, and I’ve spent most of my downtime blasting through all nine episodes. And here are my thoughts for each one. Well… kinda.

(My apologies, but you can clearly watch my descent on this one and it goes so so fast.)

What if… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?

As a first episode, I ended up somewhat surprised. While the story does follow the original film’s storyline, with changes to account for Peggy Carter switching places with Steve Rogers, it ended up working pretty well. I very much enjoyed the different scenes that highlighted that Steve couldn’t join the war effort the way he wanted to after being shot, and that Howard Stark came up with a way for him to help. There were a few things that just didn’t really click with me beyond the animation style and the shaky voice acting work (which is something across the board, but I respect Marvel Studios for bringing back all the voices of the original characters). For one, there’s a lot going on for just thirty minutes. Whole scenes of information were shoved down into thirty seconds. For another, character development was rushed: we don’t get to see Bucky become friends with Captain Carter, and hell, he spends most of the episode shafted to the side.

All in all, it was pretty solid, with some notable small issues.

What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?

I almost skipped this episode because I knew I was going to cry. And yes, I did cry, if anyone is curious. T’Challa’s portrayal as a hero is spot on, not just for the character, but also because of how inspiring Chadwick Boseman was in real life. By showing T’Challa as someone who goes on adventures, but also uses the spoils of those adventures to help the universe, is a tribute in of itself. I did enjoy the build with his character’s story, though again, it was rushed. This episode felt more solid and contained even with the timing issues. The only glaring thing I really saw was that there was no mention of Gamora, who should have already been by Thanos’ side by the time T’Challa talked him into changing his ways. I will say however, the ending was perfect (Peter Quill working at Dairy Queen with Ego appearing to talk to him). And the tribute? That was done well.

What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?

So, how does one kill every one of the OG6 in four days (baring, of course, Captain America, who is still frozen)? A mad Hank Pym, obviously. I wasn’t exactly surprised by who actually died, but the manner they all did. The worst, honestly, was Hulk, which made me gasp because of the brutality of it, followed closely by Natasha’s. Clint’s made me want to cry as Fury defended him to the end. I wasn’t at all surprised that Loki decided in the end to rule Earth. While this one didn’t have as many loose ends, I have to wonder (since I’m writing these blubs as soon as I’ve watched each episode and I’m not looking ahead), is everything going to end up connected in the end? Hmm…

What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?

Ugh. This was never going to be a favorite episode of mine, I knew it from five minutes in. But the entire premise just did not do justice to the MCU or to Strange’s character. The thing I dislike the most is that the whole thing revolved around Dr. Palmer and fridging her. Seriously, she “has to stay dead” is the theme of the episode. It’s so very disappointing. My only kudo goes to the voice acting, specifically Benedict Cumberbatch. If this is what I have to look forward to in Doctor Strange 2, I’m gonna hate those scenes.

What If… Zombies?!

… I hate zombies, I hate zombie stories, and I really dislike this episode. But Peter was cool, even if it was a dark and depressing episode. Seriously, like most of the currently MCU cast appears in some facet, and only three of them officially survive by the end. Nope.

What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?

Killmonger is one of my favorite villains in the MCU. This episdoe made me not like him. Also, Tony Stark is not this naïve, but wow he is here. I spent the entire episode rolling my eyes. Nope. I still don’t like this. (Did the writers just have a thing in their contract that Tony Stark must be killed off ASAP in every episode?

What If… Thor Were and Only Child?

Um.

What If… Ultron Won?

Well..

What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath?

So here’s the thing-

Season Thoughts as a Whole

Alright, confession time. I didn’t get past Episode 6.

I gave the show long enough to hook me, much longer than I normally do (which is two or three episodes). If only one episode out of the six I watched hooked me or impressed me enough to continue, then why would I continue on? I have far too much left on my summer watch list to be trying to force myself to continue watching something that just hasn’t hooked me.

However, in writing this review, I think I can identify exactly why I’m not a fan of this show. I’m not a fan of properties that are dark and depressing just for the sake of it. This show had most episodes end on a cliffhanger with something bad on the horizon, which just doesn’t work for me. But that’s just my opinion, not anyone else’s.

I’ve read the summaries for the remaining three episodes so that I have a basic understanding of what happens with the different metaverse characters. It will have to be enough in the lead into Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.

I still give all the props to the creators and team behind the show. It was an ambitious endeavor, even outside these pandemic times! The idea was absolutely sound. Just because it didn’t get me excited doesn’t mean it won’t be something that you might not enjoy. I highly encourage everyone who hasn’t seen Marvel’s What If to give it a few episodes.

Just so it’s clear, I won’t be watching Season Two when it airs later this year. I’ll instead continue to read the detailed episode summaries (thanks MCU Fandom Wiki).

Until next time!

Happy Two Year Anniversary to The Old Guard!

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

I went silent about TOG in the wake of jumping ship over to 9-1-1, but I’m happy that I’m making my way back.

There’s been a lot happening the world of The Old Guard. While there was not a “TOG Takeover” this time around (the mod running the account had some personal life things come up to keep them from doing a full event), the fans have been celebrating since the moment it hit midnight in the first time zone that made it July 10th (while I’m in one of the last, for context). It’s been a great day seeing fans and artists come out of the woodwork to celebrate this groundbreaking film. Heck, there’s going to be a massive fan watch later on today, which I’ll be unfortunately missing because of the time it’s starting (prior engagement).

On another note, fans have come flocking back because filming has started in Italy! This isn’t a rumor, it’s fact. Most of the cast has been seen on set, and the two that haven’t (Matthias Schoenaerts and new cast member Henry Golding) have been seen on social media either with the cast or in costume. (We think we saw Matthias as Booker in one shot, but there was a bag over the person’s head, so it can’t be confirmed.)

It’s been a long time since I really sat down and thought about this film. Not that I haven’t watched it (no, I literally watched it two weeks ago with Mom for the 80th time, it still holds up). But thinking about the world, about the comics, and everything that has come because of it. I’m even starting to work on fic for the film again, which may or may not pan out – it’s been over a year and fandom trends shift.

Because filming started on June 13th, it’s in the realm of possibility that by the time this day rolls around again next year, we might have a release date for the sequel, or a trailer, or (and this is a reach) the sequel itself! I’m keeping positive about the thought of it.

But in any event, it’s a great day to think about a great film!

Until next time!

Review “One Chicago” – The 2015-16 Season

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Well, this has been a long time coming.

Alright, time to own up to a very hilarious mistake. Somewhere in my head, I thought that I’d posted this. Heck, I though I’d finished it! In reality, this isn’t October 4, 2021, it’s late on July 9, 2022, which means it’s been nine months since I started this. So… Don’t be surprised with how barebones this is. At the time of writing, I’m eight episodes away from being done with the next season. It’s been a while. (You have permission to make fun of me for this. I’m sitting here laughing about the situation.)

Anyway, quick reminder before you continue. This is a basic summary of some of the major storylines and major characters in each show. You’ll probably figure out that I have some favorites and some not so favorites.

Chicago Fire Season Four

This season continues this trend of the world making sure that Kelly Severide cannot have nice things. During the first episode, he is stripped of his rank as Lieutenant due to the amount of men going through Squad 3, even though he had basically nothing to do with the people who left/resigned. This is a massive blow to him, and honestly it’s undeserved. Him having to undergo “leadership classes” was something that actually bothered me, and then his rank is just handed back to him anyway when Patterson is promoted. (BTW, I didn’t mind Patterson for the most part. He exists. He did nothing for me. He was just a character created to be an obstacle for 51, just Severide and Boden in particular). But by the middle of the season, things have calmed down for Kelly for the most part. He still has some little storylines, though those don’t exactly last more than a episode or two. However, as the season goes on, newcomer Stella Kidd and Severide slowly get closer, leading to a tense conclusion to the dramatic final few episodes.

Matt Casey also starts this season on a low note. He ended last season getting roped up in an Intelligence case, that causes major repercussions during the beginning of this season. On top of that, he and Dawson end up falling pregnant, though unfortunately they lose the baby early on. This leads to a rough patch in their relationship that they struggle through, coming out stronger on the other side. On another front, Casey decides to step into the political sphere by running for alderman, which leads to many ups and downs for him throughout the remainder of the season, even after he wins. Towards the end of the season, his relationship with Dawson still isn’t perfect, but she’s got other things to worry about.

For her part, Gabriela Dawson has a rough season. She spends the first chunk of the season reassigned to the Arson Investigation Unit as she is pregnant. Tragically, she doesn’t get to stay long, as she loses the pregnancy only a few episodes later. When she is allowed to return to 51 as a firefighter, she finds herself in hot water when she has an outburst at a citizen and it ends up on social media. Things calm for a bit, and then she ends up getting attached to a foster child who she saves on a call. By the end of the season, she and Casey have temporarily separated, with her moving into the studio apartment over Herrmann’s garage.

Sylvie Brett also has a hell of a season, but most of what happens to her is compounded by who she is working with. For the first half of the season, she remains paired with Jessica “Chili” Chilton. While they do have a good working relationship, this breaks down when Chili starts drinking and acting recklessly in the aftermath of learning about the overdose death of her twin sister, Jellybean. Brett is forced to report her for drinking on the job, which ends up being the final nail in Chili’s work coffin. She spends the rest of the season with Jimmy Borelli, the 51 candidate who is assigned to work on the ambulance.

Newcomer Stella Kidd (who I know plays a major role in seasons to come) joins 51 mid season. A firefighter, she immediately makes a name for herself. I like the fact that she has a seemingly good head on her shoulders, but also a pretty good attitude. Her ex-husband causes her some trouble during her storylines, which leads to a chilling final scene.

Elsewhere, Herrmann ends up stabbed, Otis has health issues, Cruz deals with some trouble, Boden gets arrested (it’s a whole thing, first half of the season), and Candidate Jimmy Borelli just doesn’t fit in. The final few episodes reveal that not is all well with 51, and things might break again before they get better.

While this season had some issues, it does come together when it needs to. I’m happy for it. I’m rating it 8/10.

Chicago P.D. Season Three

This season blew me out of the park (if I remember right..). Characters grow and shift, major storylines are handled relatively well, and even the show’s time with crossovers worked pretty well.

Jay Halstead remains my favorite character. He’s a good cop, but he’s also willing to put his badge on the line to protect both his team and victims. His relationship with Erin Lindsay goes through some issues, more so early on than anywhere else. Seeing him interact with his brother Will is always special; both actors have incredible charisma. He suffers through some tragedies, but comes out of it stronger.

The same cannot be said for Lindsay. In the aftermath of last season, she spends the beginning of this one on a destructive spiral. She’s lucky that she’s close to Voight, otherwise her job out be in major jeopardy. I’ll admit, I’ve never been a big fan of Erin. Nothing against the actress, she just never clicked with me. She does do some major good this season, but the pros unfortunately don’t outweigh the cons.

Adam Ruzek and Kim Burgess’ relationship is one that is officially this show’s on-again-off-again. They work well together, than one of them does or says something, and then there’s yet another obstacle for them to get over. As much as I love them both, I want more for them. A little birdy tells me that I’m going to get my wish…

As for Hank Voight, my respect for him as grown. The man spends most of this season dealing with problems. But while he’s putting out fires in his own destructive ways, he also sticks with his morals. By the end of the season, my heart bled for the man as he has to say goodbye to his son, murdered while attempting to help the wife of a man we went through basic training with. In rage, he finds the man who did it, forces him to dig his own grave, and takes care of him.

Other major storylines include more of Jay and Mouse’s backstory (I love Mouse, he’s hilarious and damn good), Platt marrying a Mouch from Fire, and Officer Romen finally being written out.

This was probably the strongest season yet. I happily give it a 9/10.

Chicago Med Season One

So, my first impression of this show (not including what we’ve already seen in the crossovers) is that I feel like I’ve seen it before. It’s very… hospital drama. Which is exactly what it is, but by that I mean, they’re not reinventing the wheel. You’ve got the perfect guy who knows a lot and is returning home (played by the actor who played Tommy Merlyn on Arrow, and he’s hot and he knows it), the cocky one, the new girl, the ladies that exist to butt heads with people… It’s all very generic.

Honestly? I won’t be continuing with it. I only watched through the major crossover and just gave up. I’m not a fan of hospital dramas in the first place. I gave it longer than I normally do. I will however watch episodes or storylines that involve characters from Fire and P.D. It just didn’t work for me. I will say that of what I did see, I was impressed.

I will not be giving this season a rating out of respect for the fact I only watched maybe a fifth of it.

Crossovers and Character Appearances

There are two major crossovers during this year. The first (“The Beating Heart”/”Malignant”/”Now I’m God”) is across all three One Chicago shows, beginning with Christopher Herrmann’s stabbing. Things take a turn during the crossover when it is discovered that cancer-free patients are overdosing on chemotherapy drugs. By the time it hits the final episode, Voight takes center stage in a major performance as it is revealed that his own wife may have been a victim.

While this does end up being two separate storylines that are crossed in the middle with Chicago Med, it shows the powerhouse of acting that are the shows have employed. I can’t say I’m anything but impressed by it. It was magnificent.

The second crossover (“National Manhunt”/”The Song of Gregory William Yates”)is actually one with Law & Order SVU, which ends up being a sequel to a storyline from the previous season. I don’t really want to go into too much detail, because I’m just not a fan of this crossover. There was no need to revisit the storyline. I have respect for everyone involved, but it just wasn’t for me.

All in all, I’m happy to continue on (and I did, nine months later, lol). And how I go onto Year 4 of One Chicago. I’m excited to see what’s coming next.

Until next time!

Watching Chicago Justice Didn’t Go Very Well…

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Thanks to real world shenanigans, I had to pause watching One Chicago a while ago. It wasn’t planned, but something had to give.

It’s been about four months or so. I’m finally back at it! And last night, I reached the major crossover in the 2016-2017 season. So let’s talk about it!

(For anyone who remembers, I will be doing a full season wrap up post once I finish the season. But I wanted to focus specifically on this one topic, to save me from complaining for paragraphs in that wrap up.)

The Lead Up

Towards the end of the previous season of Chicago PD (3×21), there was a backdoor pilot for Chicago Justice. I wasn’t very impressed, but that was fine, I’m allowed to have a different opinion.

During the beginning of Season Four, Detective Antonio Dawson, one of the major members of the Intelligence Unit, is offered a role as an investigator for the State Attorney’s office. In episode eight, he accepts that role and leaves the unit. This sets him up to help start on Chicago Justice, which started airing later in the season.

The Crossover Event

One Chicago is pretty known for characters making appearances on the different shows in the franchise. Most of the time, it’s limited to a brief appearance, a scene or two at most. However, usually once or twice a season there’s a crossover “event”, which has a singular storyline stretch across two or three shows.

In the 2016-17 season, there were two. The first was a two episode arc which isn’t relevant to this discussion. The second, however, features all four shows across three episodes and serves as the season opener to the latest Chicago series.

This crossover event deals with a tragedy that effects one of the major character, and has ramifications across all of the shows during the event. It was largely successful!

The first part of the crossover is handled by Chicago Fire and deals with Firehouse 51 being called to a fire at a former factory turned illegal housing for artists and the like. While they are able to gets exits open and save a majority of the residents (and partiers, as there was a party also going on), the death toll rises throughout the episode. And to the horror of all the characters, Detective Alvin Olinsky’s daughter Lexi was inside and she’s grievously injured.

Moving into the second part, Chicago PD takes over, looking for the person that set the fire and have killed so many young people. While the majority of the unit is interviewing and searching, Olinsky says at Chicago Med and is there when Lexi succumbs to her injuries. Using some actual police work, the Intelligence Unit is able to identify a potential subject and arrest him.

From here we finish with the first episode of Chicago Justice. And here is when things take a turn.

About Justice…

So, I don’t exactly know how the convict the killer. Or exactly what happens in the trial. Or really anything after about the… fifteen minute or so mark of Chicago Justice.

Why? Because I just turned it off.

Here’s the thing. While I enjoy a good drama, courtroom dramas are hard to sell me on, because I get board with them. I was pretty sure that Justice was going to be along the lines of Law and Order. I was hopeful that something would catch me (like Antonio’s acting with other characters) and I’d get hooked, the same way I did with Fire and PD.

That didn’t happen. The first fifteen minutes was basically conversation. People making statements, people retracting statements, people just… talking. There was no action, no real moment of surprise or twists or turns. Just the same thing for fifteen minutes.

Right at that fifteen minute mark, I just gave up.

Here’s the problem with this. “Fake” was the third episode, the finale, of the major four series, three episode crossover, as well as the first episode of a new show and was meant to sell the show! The complete tone shift from action and tension and tragedy to… mundane just did not work. It slowed everything down and did not fit in with what the first two episodes had set up.

And here’s the thing…

I was warned about this.

When I was first getting into One Chicago, I went to the One Chicago subreddit to get an idea of what type of insanity I was about to undertake. One of the first posts I saw was someone asking if Justice was necessary to watch. That was a resounding “NO.”

Heck, anywhere and everywhere I’ve looked, the cons have far outweighed the pros. So many people flat out said it’s not worth it. To just read episode summaries if I absolutely had to. To just ignore it entirely (except for the first episode, since it is the finale of the crossover).

I spent 15 dollars on the DVDs. Worst purchase of the year thus far.

Wrap-up

Basically, If you’re planning on watching One Chicago, just ignore the existence of Justice if you can. It there but it’s not worth it. None of the plotlines have any real weight on the series going forth (according to my quick research).

During the rest of my watch, I will be skipping it (no great loss, just effecting this one season). I’ll briefly mention it in my season breakdown when I get to that (hopefully some time next week? Maybe even this weekend? Depends on how the rest of tonight goes.

Until next time!

Ranking the Disney+ MCU Shows – Blogmas 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

As of the other night, I’ve watched every episode of the Phase Four MCU shows on Disney+. And honestly, I’m glad that I took my time! Not that I didn’t love them (I did) but I was able to really stretch them out and enjoy the extra long films.

Before I get into “ranking” the shows, I want to kinda explain how I got my list. I enjoyed all four shows for various reasons. But I also know there were things that I wasn’t a total fan of. The ranking is more just like an order to just make things easier to read. I’m also not including Marvel’s What If? as I haven’t watched it yet. I’m also not entirely sure of it’s place in canon.

Oh, and just because something comes higher than the other doesn’t mean that I really didn’t like something. It’s an arbitrary ranking.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier

This one has to be on top. I was surprised when I got into this one. I absolutely love both of the main characters, but I wasn’t sure how their journey in this show would work. But wow this one blew me out of the park.

I was very impressed with the writing and storytelling. THe characters brought to the small screen worked well. I flat out cried during the final episode, because I really wasn’t expecting the ending to hit me the way it did. It blew my mind.

Hawkeye

I’ll be the first to say that I wasn’t expecting to love this one as much as I did. I love the story of Kate Bishop becoming Hawkeye, but I was worried about how it would translate to screen. But I was pleasantly surprised. Bringing back Kingpin was an amazing twist that I was hoping for, and I think it worked. Even the constant (heart wrenching) reminder of Natasha and her death worked. And the inclusion of Clint’s hearing loss, tied into this years being an Avenger was an amazing touch to bring the character closer to his comic book incarnation.

Honestly my one big issue was pacing. This could have easily been a five episode show. There were a few scenes that just felt tacked on. (Also the post credit scene wasn’t great. Just the inclusion of it. I’m fine with it as a whole.)

Wandavision

This show had to do a lot. It opened the door for more MCU shows, but it also had to continue the story of two main characters, introduce or reintroduce some other major characters, and set the stage for Phase Four as a whole. I give massive kudos to everyone for this show, because it was a major undertaking.

The only reason it is lower is because the shows that came after it stepped up just that much more. It’s crafted near perfectly, and really set the stage for the rumored Young Avengers film/series.

Loki

Something had to be at the bottom, and it could only be Loki. I have nothing against the show. It was well written, confusing as hell, and well acted. The biggest problem was that I found it incredibly boring. At least an entire episode could have been cut for time, and it still would have bored me. A lot is set up here, but… it’s probably not going to get a rewatch from me.

So that’s my “ranking”. There are of course other little details I could include, but I’m trying to be pretty spoiler-free. I’m happy that I watched them all, and I can’t wait to see what the MCU has in store for the fans next.

(BTW, I haven’t seen The Eternals or Spider-Man: No Way Home yet, so please don’t drop any spoilers in the comments!)

Until next time!

The Old Guard Won a Hugo Award! – Blogmas 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a minute since I’ve said much of anything regarding The Old Guard, mostly because I got so burned out. I’m not even participating in this month’s TOG Takeover on Twitter, because I just really can’t anymore. 

However, yesterday was the Hugo Awards.

If you don’t know what the Hugo Awards are, it’s okay. I didn’t for the longest time, until a few years ago. It’s a literary award for the best SciFi or Fantasy works of the year. They are always announced at Worldcon (formally known as the World Science Fiction Convention) in a special presentation. These awards go to the best Scifi/Fantasy Novel, Novella, Short Story, etc. They are considered very important awards to those in the literary world, or at least within the SciFi/Fantasy world.

The award I’m focusing on today is the Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form. Or, in layman’s terms, best film screenplay. The nominees are by and large major motion pictures, from some of the biggest studios in the world. Previous winners include Good Omens, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Martian, Guardians of the Galaxy, Inception, Game of Thrones (Season One), Lord of the Rings (which swept all three years it was nominated), and much more. That’s not even including the nominees that didn’t win.

And this year, the competition was really stiff. Tenet, Soul, Palm Springs, Eurovision Song Contest, and Birds of Prey were all nominees, all of which would have absolutely deserved this win, because they are so well written and well received in the writing department. But there are six nominees, not just the five listed here.

And the sixth? The Old Guard.

Who won.

This honestly came as a surprise to see. Not that the screenplay isn’t good (it is!), but against Birds of Prey? I figured we didn’t stand a chance.

But the film won.

This is the second win for a Netflix property, the first being Jessica Jones’ “AKA The Smile” in 2016. In fact, Netflix has only received five nominations total thus far. (In contrast, Marvel Studios is at sixteen nominations with three wins. And Harry Potter received seven nominations out of their eight films (Half Blood Prince being the lone exception) with no wins.) 

Here’s the weird thing though. Normally, Netflix is all over announcing their various wins, regardless of the award. But this time, there hasn’t been a peep. It’s been over twenty four hours, and no post or tweet or reference. The writer and director have both made posts on Instagram regarding the win, but nothing from Netflix. Nor from Skydance, the producer of the film.

But who cares. The Old Guard won a major award. 

Wonder if we will win for the sequel? Only time will tell!

Until next time!

My Top (and Bottom) Media for 2021 – Blogmas 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the world of hyper focus.

This year I went from one fandom to another, with a third being started and paused. No really, I can flat out confirm that I really haven’t done much in way of media this year. But let’s break it down, because why not, right?

In terms of TV, my favorite is obviously 9-1-1. I discovered the show by way of Tumblr, when I was looking to get out of the TOG fandom community. While not the perfect show in any sense, I really have enjoyed it. What I really like is the feeling of family I’ve found thanks to discord. I love pretty much all of the characters in the show, and most of the storylines as well. Season Five may be a fever dream, but it’s still pretty good.

Following closely behind is of course the spinoff, 9-1-1 Lone Star. This one is a major surprise to me because I never figured I would enjoy it nearly as much as the OG. It features two of my favorite couples, #Tarlos (TK and Carlos) and the Ryders (Judd and his wife Grace). Honestly, the only reason this show isn’t tied with the OG show is because it have a problem with being the Owen Strand show. (And the fact that Owen keeps on forgetting that he has a son. It’s an issue I want to play with in the next few days.)

Also included on this list is One Chicago, which I’m grouping together because of the fact it is so intertwined. Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. are both really good shows that are more grounded in reality, especially when compared to 9-1-1 and Lone Star. But I do have some problems with certain characters and storylines, and honestly some of the choices the writers have made. I’ll be getting back to these two shows very soon.

I have also fallen for all the new Marvel content. WandaVision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and Hawkeye have all impressed me in various ways. All four shows had strong messages that really stood out. They’re not perfect (I’m looking at you Loki), but they are a lot of fun. I also include Black Widow and Shang-Chi on this list, as both were pretty great.

Before we get to the things I think weren’t worth my time, I want to highlight the two films that I think were okay. Not great, but not terrible. Step Up: Revolution was a fun little ride, but there was little substance to it. MindGamers was a literal mind fuck, but it had Oliver Stark, so it automatically is better than bad.

And now on to the negative.

One of the biggest disappointments I watched this year was Into the Badlands. I really really wanted to like it, but it was boring and unimaginative. I have a full review on why I wasn’t a fan, and why I DNFed the entire series midway through the first season. But it just… wasn’t worth it at all.

And then there’s Chicago Med. Now, I won’t say I hated it. I will just say it bored me. I don’t want to go into too much detail because I’m trying to finish off the first season, but I will just say that it’s a medical drama that just isn’t for me.

The new Animaniacs also debuted late last year, though I didn’t get to it until the beginning of this year. It did not live up to the original show in any way. I never thought I’d want to turn off the show I had loved all throughout my childhood.

And finally, the show that I DNFed, but that I’m returning to at some point. I watched part of the new S.W.A.T. series starring Shemar Moore and thought I’d really like it, but I just got stuck with it. It’s on my list of a show to catch up with once I finally finish One Chicago.

As you can see, it’s been a pretty light year. I stuck with the show that really got me hooked again (especially after leaving The Old Guard fandom behind). Hopefully next year things can get more back on track and I’ll be able to watch more.

Until next time!

I Watched Into the Badlands – Blogmas 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Actually that should say, I tried to watch Into the Badlands.

I made it through two and a half episodes.

According to my discord friends, that’s about how far they all made it too.

So, what is Into the Badlands and why did we all watch it? Let’s talk about it.

Into the Badlands is a show on AMC. Basically it’s a martial arts series taking place in a post-apocalyptic world. The world has survived a massive war that left civilization in ruins. Some things have survived (electricity and cars, but only to a point), but most things have been shunned, such as firearms and the like. It’s presumed to take place in the middle of America, but not confirmed.

The show revolves around a feudal system, where seven barons hold total control over the territories. For the most part, at least the first few episodes follow two barons and their compounds. I assume more are shown, but I didn’t get that far, nor will I be trying to (I’ll explain soon).

The main baron followed is Quinn, who holds control over opium poppies, which is harvested for opium. He has a contentious relationship with his son Ryder, who feels that his father has become weak (which he has, because Quinn has a brain tumor). Their soldiers are called clippers, and one of the strongest to follow Quinn is Sunny, who has killed over 400 people on Quinn’s orders.

On the other side is The Widow, who assumed the baroness position upon the death of her husband. She leads a clan of assassin women and controls the oil. Her teenage daughter (adopted?) Tilda, is one of the strongest fighters in the world.

There are other characters as well that appear, but I’m not going to go into them. Within just the first two episodes, there were so many names being thrown around it was hard to keep up with everyone.

What was the problem?

Basically, pretty much everything.

The biggest issue with starting a show, especially with a sci-fi or fantasy show, is that you have to sell the entire world in one episode. If you can’t hook your audience in one show, you’re done. This show… well, it didn’t catch me, but it sure tried. The problem is there was too much world building for 45 minutes. A chunk of history, a massive introduction of characters, a slew of terminology… it felt stuffed. And plot was happening and moving along.

One issue for me is that in two episodes, most characters have changed their loyalties or motivations. Two. Episodes. Almost. Every. Character. It’s a problem. Over the course of the six episode season, I could understand evolving motivations. But most of the characters completely changed sides or loyalties by the end of the first episode, then turned around and did it again. For example, Sunny is introduced as being entirely loyal to Quinn. Within an episode, he’s shown wanting to leave the Badlands (to parts unknown), privately turns his back on the baron, and then publicly questions him. He then backtracks in such a way that Ryder almost gets killed, and then does another about face. In two episodes.

Then you have Ryder, who is played by Oliver Stark and is literally the only reason I picked up this show in the first place. Ryder is not a likable character. He is immediately presented as a character without a path. He has an unlikable attitude, and he’s also stubborn. He goes to a “doll” house (literally a brothel) and gets tricked into an ambush that nearly kills him. It knocks him down a peg, but he still has that same elitist attitude. The big thing is that he isn’t nearly as strong as his father (pre sickness), but he wants to be. It doesn’t really… work, not with the established world rules. 

Another issue I have is that the writing is pretty basic. There’s nothing new or revolutionary. If you take every word that isn’t part of a normal vernacular and use the more “modern” word, it would be stale and boring. I’m not asking for Shakespeare, but I am asking for… variety.

Actually, the biggest issue is the random fantasy element involving the character MK. Apparently, he can go berserker and blast people psychically when he gets angry and bleeds? It doesn’t fit the rules of the universe. Everyone is after this kid. 

The only redeeming quality I saw was the martial arts. Characters use their bodies, swords, knives, other bladed objects, and basically any melee weapon to fight. The choreography is done very well, though several things I saw just didn’t really work. I was able to suspend my disbelief. 

But unfortunately, one good thing does not make a good series. I wanted to watch the show because I love watching my favorite characters and actors get whumped (yes, Oliver, you do hurt so good). Unfortunately, it was so dreadfully boring and poorly done, I just can’t.

I tried. I really did. But I kept just checking the clock or skimming the wiki summary. I didn’t care about what I was watching. And that’s really sad, because it could have been so good. I’m probably going to skip through the show to see the end of Ryder’s storyline (which I won’t reveal here because spoilers) but that’s about it.

And I was just so excited for it too.

Oh well, who knows what might come next.

Until next time!

I’m Caught Up on the MCU! – Blogmas 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Well, kinda.

For my birthday last month (dear God I’m 31, yikes), I finally got to watch Black Widow. I was actually very impressed! Though I’m also said, because it was clear that we probably won’t see that family dynamic again. Yelena ended up being a great foil to Natasha, while also being able to stand on her own two feet. It’s a great introduction for Yelena, as well as well as a respectful ending for Natasha. I actually managed to avoid all spoilers regarding details in the film, as well as the post-credit scene, so it was an amazing watch.

The next weekend, we watched Shang-Chi, and WOW, that one blew Black Widow out of the park. First off, there was something about the dynamic between Shang-Chi and Katy that drew me in and wouldn’t let me go. Heck, it was the dynamic between every character that made this film so amazing. While the story was a bit simplistic, it was engaging. It currently has the spot for top Phase Four film locked up tight. (Also, the fact that Wenwu wasn’t driven by anger, but instead by love, as the main “villain” was a great change to the formula. He just wanted his wife back, and was tricked into believing that she was in danger instead of dead. It was handled perfectly.)

I’m also halfway through Hawkeye, which is going well. I’ve always been a fan of the character, because I love the underdog. He’s not a superhero, he’s just a human that has trained himself without the help of science. This show has been touching on some subjects that I’m loving to see, including Clint’s hearing loss (the different levels of ALS have been amazing to see, and it seems to be handling it respectfully) as well as his depression and survivor’s guilt. And wow, that scene in episode one, when he’s seeing the musical? That hurt. But it hurt so good.

I’m still on the fence about Kate Bishop, but that’s because she still seems like the plucky teenage sidekick, instead of the adult sidekick that she’s growing to be. There’s a level of mystery in the show that’s keeping me coming back every week for more. I’m just worried that they stretched this out into six episodes, because the pacing seemed a bit… slow sometimes.

I unfortunately haven’t seen the Eternals yet. I haven’t felt safe going back to theaters (which is why I also ended up missing the SAO movie). I also wasn’t exactly excited to go see it, but that’s on a more personal level. This one will have to wait until after it comes to Disney+.

I also won’t be seeing Spider-Man in theaters for the same reason. I can’t justify seeing a film when I know I’m going to be uncomfortable the entire time. I just don’t trust people, and with news of the newest variant, I worry.

The only other piece of (semi-canon) MCU related content that I haven’t seen is What If? It’s been on my list, and I’ve been avoiding it. I just don’t really like the animation style, and honestly the concept doesn’t do anything for me. I’m going to watch it, but it’s not a priority right now.

So that’s it with the MCU. And here’s one other fun Marvel thing I’m going to be missing, well, next year when it comes out. It’s not a MCU film, but it’s still a Spider-Man film all the same. I’m going to be avoiding the sequel to Into the Spider-Verse. The animation actually managed to give me a splitting headache this afternoon, and that was just because of the trailer. I can’t imagine how much pain I’d be in if I saw it in theaters.

That’s all for tonight! Sorry for the short length, I ended up being behind with the Advent writing and had to cut something.

Until next time!