The Best Anonymous Comment I’ve Ever Received on AO3 – Blogtober 2022

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

I’m crying while typing this, because I’ve been laughing so hard.

Late yesterday evening, I received an anonymous comment on one of my fics. The vast majority of the comment was… well, personal attacks and basic grumblings and whining. I’m not entertaining that, even if I rolled my eyes hard enough to give myself a headache.

No, it’s the last lines that made me burst into laughter at 10:30 at night.

The lines, in part, read: “You need to delete this repulsive fic! Live action and animation should never be written together – it’s taboo!”

(I, ah, cleaned up the language and grammar. You’re welcome for that.)

So, before I tell you what fic this was, I have to ask this lovely anonymous commenter. Did Mary Poppins hurt you? Did Who Framed Roger Rabbit? bother you that much in childhood? Seriously, I could probably find many instances where live action and animation shared the same screen and shot, but I’m just feeling to lazy to do it.

Anyway, the fic was my 9-1-1 / Sword Art Online crossover fic, “I’m Begging You (to Come Back to Us),” which was written on a whim about a year ago. It was totally written as angsty crack, with some tragedy thrown in for Buck in chapter two. It’s completely harmless.

Look, I like off the wall crossovers as long as all sets of original source material are respected. I’ve written a couple of them myself beyond this fic. It’s fun, especially when you are trying to mesh two different fandoms together in one cohesive unit… and then sometimes it actually works. Sometimes it doesn’t and that’s what makes it fun.

I’ll be totally honest that for a split second I was actually angry about the comment. I thought this would be just another example of gatekeeping the 9-1-1 fandom, demanding that only certain types of fics be posted and only featuring certain characters. But alas, it’s just the ravings of someone who doesn’t know how to hit the back button or read the tags.

I’m not going to publish the review simply because of the personal insults. But it had to live on in some form. I figured someone might get some enjoyment out of it too.

Until next time!

31 Books in 31 Days?! – Blogtober 2022

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Well, kinda.

I have a lot of books. So many that they can’t fit on my shelves anymore. So many that I’ve forgotten which ones I own and which ones are still on my list. It’s just slightly a problem that needs fixing.

In the interest of freeing up space (my birthday and Christmas are right around the corner and I usually get some books), I’m trying something to free up at least a few spaces.

Every day during October, I’m picking a random book of my shelf. My options are ones I haven’t read yet that aren’t part of a collection (Owlcrate or Barnes and Nobel’s YA Book Club). That means that a good thirty to forty percent of my current library is up for grabs. Right now I’m letting Mom pick for the first few days, after that I’m putting titles in a hat and picking that way. (I may have forgotten to prep for this thanks to Whumptober and Writer’s Month colliding, on top of some other things, whoops!)

With each book, my goal is to read either 50 pages (novel) or 100 pages (graphic novel). If by that point I’m at least enjoying it, or it hasn’t done anything to be particularly egregious, the book will stay (with the goal to revisit it in November and finish it if I don’t already do that on the day). If there is anything about the book I’m not happy with (art style, writing style, plot, character), I’m donating it.

Yes, that means I’m somewhat judging books by their cover. I’m also going to be very picky. Yep. I’m probably going to be donating more than planned (I have twenty or so books already earmarked to be donated already for various reasons, these will be added to that list).

But I think it’s worth it.

Now, a few caveats. None of these are going to be added to Goodreads this month, unless I finish the book that day (like the graphic novel that was picked for day one, I’m publicly withholding my thoughts until the end of this). I’m also still reading through the Heroes of Olympus series right now (I’m on the last book!). I might end up skipping a day or two due to work related reasons (Monday’s are in office days and the drive sucks).

My goal is to get at least ten books marked for donation. No, I’m not going in with a negative mindset, I just think that ten is a good number to donate. If it’s more or less, I’m okay with that.

So that’s the project. 31 books to be tested out in 31 days. Can I do it? We will have to see what happens. I will do a full write up with titles and brief thoughts when the whole thing is over with.

Until next time!

(I’m adding this to my Reading Challenge tag for a couple reasons. It is a reading challenge by defination. But also, I will not be making my goal this year by a lot, so I’m going to use this tag for any sort of reading challenge that I’m taking part in that is reading related.)

It’s Another Blogtober and I’m Already Behind! – Blogtober 2022

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Yes, I’m doing this, yes I’m behind, yes I blame it on outside forces because why would I blame myself? /s (Thank God for backdating posts, lol)

But in all seriousness, it’s time for another Blogtober. This year I’m once again going to try to change things up a bit. This will (hopefully) be the month of reviews.

Over the summer and into the fall, I spent a lot of the time reading. No, I’m not joking, if I actually sat down and updated my Goodreads goal, I’d be much closer to my goal than I could have anticipated.

So my goal for Blogtober is to finally review those books that I read over the past few months, catching up and also updating Goodreads as I go. I will keep the total on the bottom current, so if I sneak in a book that I’ve just finished (say… Blood of Olympus, which I’m almost done with), it will have the current total, even if the review previous was ten or so before it, and the one for the next day might be the one after that. For example (because I can’t explain this in words), the three posts might be 8, 27, 9, or whatever the actual numbers are (no I don’t remember off the top of my head).

The only time this will change is for my August’s Writer’s Month wrap up (which will be later this month), and my 9-1-1 episode reviews and breakdowns (which will go up as soon as I’ve watched them, though they will probably remain a bit late). Oh, and one other post in a few days detailing one other thing I’m doing in October (that isn’t the thing detailed below).

Just a quick side note, don’t be surprised if a post is posted late at night. I’m also doing Whumptober as well, because stressing myself out is fun. I’m putting priority into that because AO3’s date switches over at 6PM my time, so I have to get that up first, then a blog post if I’m behind. I’m hopefully not going to skip too many days and have to play catchup on weekends.

That’s all for now. Back to writing and stuff.

Until next time!

Life Is Crazy, Pass It On

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a while. A long while. Almost seven weeks to be exact.

Hi everyone. I’ve been meaning to write up a post about what’s going on, where I’ve been, etc. I really have. But real life obilations took over, along with writing burnout and just generally wanting to just take a very firm step back.

The past few months have been absolutely crazy. Work has finally exploded as I’m officially out of training and into my official probation period. Actually, as this post goes up, I will have been on probation for six weeks, halfway through. It’s been a real up and down process. I don’t want to go into too much detail, for privacy’s sake. I will say however, that while I come away every night exhausted, I also have a sense of fulfillment. I just need to get more comfortable with everything, and that comes with time.

On the writing front, I’m still knee deep into Writer’s Month, even though I am very very late in finishing. It has been a moderately successful month, though there have been some firm ups and downs due to rude commentors, as well as some unwanted attention from a group that I don’t associate with. By the end of tonight, I should only have four left to write, then I can quickly shift gears towards Whumptober 2022… which I haven’t even looked at yet. And I’m also planning on working on Nanowrimo this year if I can, which will be an amazing feat…

I’ve been reading on my breaks at work, slowly making my way through the Heroes of Olympus series. I’m on book four, House of Hades, my goal was to be done with both HoH and the finale by the middle of September, but as it can clearly been seen, I missed that by a bit. I just haven’t really had the time. If I can finish these last few fics, I’ll be able to spend an evening just knocking them out, hopefully.

And of course, the video game front. I’ll do a full Animal Crossing update one of these days (hint: I’m getting burned out here as well). But I’m also at 374 platinums and more than halfway done with 375, which is actually my third playthrough of Lego DC Supervillains! I’m playing the JPN version, which honestly is exactly the same as the North American and European versions, just with two buttons flipped. But it’s been fun to revisit once again.

As for 9-1-1… This is the big thing. Tonight was the premiere. And I didn’t watch it. I’ll be watching it tomorrow after work. I made this decision a bit ago, simply because I just wasn’t excited for this season. During the summer and leading into August, I realized that I just don’t see the show the same way others do. I don’t want to get too long winded, but I decided to just wait until Tuesday to watch it, to give myself a day. I managed to avoid most of the promos and articles, baring the first two or three brief promos, so I would know relatively little… Except that one: people on the internet are allergic to tagging spoilers (or even just tagging the fandom), and two: someone decided to be an ass and send me two comments on one of my fics that featured a breakdown of the two released scenes leading up to the premiere. I’ll be doing a post on this later on, but fandom etiquette is non-existent at this point.

So. Wrap up. I’m back. Real life and life away from this blog are insane. My migraines are back and I’m going to a neuro ophthalmologist as soon as the one I was referred to calls me back. Expect the post for 9-1-1 6×01 to be delayed another day. It’s all right.

Promise I’ll be on some sort of posting schedule again soon. Ish. Soonish.

Until next time!

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!

Let’s Talk: Gaming in 2022 – July Update

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

It’s the year of puzzle games, a few standouts, and Animal Crossing.

We are officially past the halfway point of 2022 and things are moving steadily along. I’m slowly getting through all of my goals, with a hope of completing them to the best of my ability by the end of the year.

The Playstation Update

I started this year with 303 Platinum trophies. As of the time of writing, I’m at 339. I’ve already picked #350, which I’ll talk about in a bit.

For the most part, I’ve just been playing easy puzzle games and hidden pictures games, mostly because it’s just calming and easy and still fun. I’m not trying to spend every moment gaming (nor can I), so this has been just calm and easy.

Of games of note, there have been a few standouts as well.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales was an absolute amazing game, though the post game just wasn’t as interesting to me. I normally like collectathon games, but something just didn’t click with me. The story, however, is so important and well done.

A game that surprised me was Lost Words: Beyond the Page. It was a sale pickup, and I chose it simply because the cover art looked interesting. The story itself was poignant and well done, focusing on a child going through the stages of grief. If you want a short but fun little indie title, give this one a play! (If you’re going for all trophies/achievements, make sure to use a guide for the collectables. There are about ten that will trip you up.)

Unpacking is a game from last year that finally just released on PSN. A story told in a few words, it’s a quick but fun and satisfying game. Absolutely go into this one without any spoilers or having watched any lore. I honestly think this is an amazing little game.

And of course, how can I do a list of games without talking about the largest game on this list, that took almost two months to finally 100% because of its size (and because I was working)? Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga earned its reputation as being the largest Lego game, unseating Lego City Undercover and Lego Dimensions. It’s also damn good, fixing the things that I heavily disliked about the prequel and sequel trilogies, while also doing justice to the stories. The post game content is somewhat repetitive (lots of fetch quests), but I did enjoy it. At some point this year I’d love to replay it on either PS5 (providing that I get it as my birthday/Christmas present, it’s been hinted already) or on Xbox One.

Animal Crossing New Horizons

One of my biggest goals this year was to complete as much of Animal Crossing New Horizons as possible. And honestly? I’m doing pretty well.

I spend about thirty minutes or so total a day playing, usually just doing Nook Miles+ tasks and a few things that need to be done still (collect wood, catch creatures, take a Capp’n trip, and exercise). It’s low stress, something I would usually do on my breaks. I don’t particularly mind doing it.

One thing I’ve focused on is making sure to get each month’s creatures. That means at the beginning of the month, I take note of what new creatures are spawning and what time they spawn and slowly get them all. I’ve been doing great with that, only missing one that stopped appearing in February (I only had like two days to get it), and I’m only looking for one more in July.

I usually play when I have something on in the background (lately, One Chicago, which I finally just finished the midpoint of the series, and soon to be Heartstopper and Marvel’s What If?). If I’m playing while I’m on lunch break at work, I usually turn on Lofi Girl on Youtube and enjoy it. Such a good way to pass the time.

Wait, go back to the Puzzle Games.

Well, there’s a lot of those.

Puzzle games are what I like to refer to as Platinum-bait. Nine times out of ten, I could knock them out in about ten minutes or less. Some of them I do stretch out.

My honest to Merlin favorites are any games released by POWGI, as they are always word puzzles in some way. We’re talking crosswords, fill in the blank, word scrambles… You name it, they’ve probably made a game or three for it. But I find them fun to play through, and I can take my time with them to stretch them out over a week or so.

To the surprise of no one, I’ve also played the currently released Artifex Mundi hidden picture games. Those are… well, formulaic at this point. I do enjoy them for their actual hidden picture mechanic, but not for anything else. The stories have gotten stale and uninspired, and they use the same four voice actors for every game, giving each one a boring aspect.

The other puzzle game I want to mention is also not one with trophies, but it tells a pretty good message. Island Saver is a game revolving around three things: cleaning up the environment, recycling, and banking. Yes, those make some sort of sense. It’s actually a good deal of fun, if slightly frustrating in some places. It was developed by indie studio Stormcloud Games and published by a British banking chain called Natwest. It ended up being a fun little game for two days.

In Summary

I’ll be totally honest, I don’t think I’m going to hit two of my gaming goals, since they were made when I actually had free time. But I’m going to keep on pushing through.

(For those curious, I’ve slowed down getting Platinum Trophies, and my goal was to crack 375 this year. The other was to complete just about everything in ACNH, but I know I’m behind for a lot of things, thanks to island travelling.)

But gaming in 2022 is still a lot of fun and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Until next time!

The 2022 Mid Year Book Freak Out!

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year, and this year I’m not wanting to scream because I’m behind!

The Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag was created for Booktubers so long ago that the original video has been privated. Just from a quick search, it looked like at least ten years ago. Since I’m not really doing on camera stuff this year, baring streaming (if my internet is ever stable again, but that’s a rant for another day), it’s always better for me to do this via my blog.

There are 13 questions in the tag that I am again using for this year. I’ve actually read more this year than I though, so there shouldn’t be much doubling up! I’ll also try to keep this spoiler free, or at least spoiler light, but no promises.

Let’s jump into it.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2021.

There are two books that have stood out to me this year. One is a book that I reread (because of my reading challenge) and the other is a novella. The Lightning Thief remains one of my favorite middlegrade books of all time, and wow it holds up really well, even after all of these years. Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire is the latest installment in the Wayward Children series series, and I truly do think it’s a great addition to the series.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021.

This will have to go to Heartstopper Vol 2-4. I ended up blasting through them last month, since I have it in my head that I can’t watch an adaptation until I’ve read the source material. (I may have not watched the show yet. I’m going to, I promise! Like, next weekend or so!) I just love Alice Oseman’s art style, though I still have some trouble reading the text, but if that’s my only complaint, am I really complaining?

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.

It’s not exactly new, but Alice Oseman’s Loveless has been sitting on my shelf since May, and I really want to crack into it. It was the existence of this book as a Barnes and Noble YA Book Club choice for April that even alerted me to Heartstopper being so blatantly popular. So popular, in fact, that when I went to order the Book Club edition of the book, they’d sold out of it entirely, and it won’t be restocked. When I find a break in my reading schedule, that’s next on the list.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

Because of my reading goal, I have to give this to Stellarlune by Shannon Messenger. It’s the penultimate book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, and I’m actually curious about it. Well, only mildly, since I’ve only ever read book one, and this is book nine (technically ten, since there was a book 8.5…)

5. Biggest disappointment.

I didn’t think something could make me scream as badly as Blood & Honey did last year. But As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson managed it. The first half of the book felt like a normal Good Girl’s Guide to Murder book, but with protagonist Pip making mistakes and being more paranoid than normal. But the back half? It’s like this other character possessed her and the entire cast and wow, it made no sense. I almost threw it across the parking lot I was sitting in when I finished it. The amount of four letter words was… telling.

6. Biggest surprise.

We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu. It’s his first autobiography, telling his story. His life has been insane, and his voice came right out of the page. I read it on a whim and I absolutely loved every second of it.

7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)

So here’s the problem. Everyone on my list I’ve either read, or they just wrote a one off, or they aren’t an author I’d probably pick up again, because I didn’t really enjoy their book. I haven’t read anyone new to me this year (yet, I do have a few books I’m planning on cracking into very soon).

8. Newest fictional crush.

Look, everything I’ve read this year has basically featured exclusively under-18 characters. There isn’t a way I can answer this without it being creepy.

… Simu Liu. There. I’m gonna go rewatch Shang-Chi now.

9. Newest fictional character.

Jason from The Heroes of Olympus series. While I do like all the new characters, I think Jason has had the most potential in this series (I’ve only read through three, no spoilers over books that have been out for years!). There’s something about an amnesiac character trying his best through no fault of his own, but still succeeding on his quest, that just does it for me.

10. Book that made you cry.

There’s a specific scene in The Last Olympian that downright made me sob, and I read it while I was at work (luckily, work from home that day). I won’t say what, but it more than earned it’s 5-star rating that day.

11. Book that made you happy.

(I did this last year and I’m stealing it again.) Sarcastic answer incoming: Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour. I downright one of her previous novels, We Are Okay, which came out in 2017. But Watch Over Me just did not do it for me in any way. I sped read that book just to get it over with, and I was happy to do so, since I was bored.

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received).

Every. Single. Owlcrate. Book. Released. This. Year. No serious, google them. For the most part they are either entirely redesigned, or the coloring is much different. I’ve really enjoyed seeing how Owlcrate works with the publishers for most books since one of my favorites years ago (Eliza and her Monsters, highly recommended!). Nine times out of ten, I love them more.

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

… Well. I guess this is when I give an update on my lovely “Remy’s Reading Challenge!” Let me get my calculator. Well, basically… 39 novels and a bunch of short stories. Yeah, I’m way behind. (Technically since I’m no longer apart of that friend group, I don’t have to do that challenge, and damn that reminds me of a joke for another day, but I’m doing the challenge anyway.) Beyond that, there’s a bunch of other books I want to jump into, it’s just that I have it in my head that I can’t step away from a series until I reach a natural stopping point (end of that specific book series, like The Heroes of Olympus for example). I’m going to try to get through more by the end of the year. It just depends on how busy I get with work, since that has to be my priority.

And that’s the tag! I’ve done this for a few years now, and it’s always fun to see how my answers change. I really do enjoy doing things like this, so let me know if you want me to look for some other book tags across Youtube/Tiktok. I’ll look for them!

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!