#and having Charlie VS David is always hilarious

[evenyouyouweirdo]

https://www.reddit.com/r/WILTY/comments/13bo7ce/series_17_recordings/

Wilty list of contestants, season 17

aka how the fuck did I miss this ? (the post is from 5 months ago)

VICTORIA IS BACK ON

and CHARLIE BROOKER ????

AND IVO GRAHAM!!!!

AND FRANKIE BOYLE !!!!

HELL YES!

[tabloidtoc]

Us, December 24

Cover: Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle at War 

Page 2: Red Carpet -- Fringe Gowns -- Sarah Paulson, Heidi Klum, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Cynthia Erivo, Chrissy Teigen, Naomi Campbell, Victoria Justice, Regina Hall, Julianne Moore, Ashlee Simpson 

Page 4: Who Wore It Best? Amanda Peet vs. Nicole Kidman, Kaley Cuoco vs. Chloe Bennet, Jennifer Lopez vs. Carly Steel 

Page 6: Gwen Stefani vs. Jessica Biel, Kristin Cavallari vs. Kendall Jenner, Lily Collins vs. Bee Shaffer 

Page 8: Irina Shayk vs. Uzo Aduba vs. Katie Holmes 

Page 10: Loose Talk -- Jonah Hill on Justin Timberlake, John Cena on his hair, Ryan Reynolds on fatherhood, Jennifer Aniston on Jimmy Kimmel’s daughter, James Corden on Jeff Goldblum 

Page 13: Contents 

Page 14: Hot Pics -- Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini 

Page 15: Kelly Ripa and Anderson Cooper, Darren Criss and Lea Michele, Anne Hathaway 

Page 20: Ryan Seacrest, Hoda Kotb and Hugh Jackman, Hailee Steinfeld 

Page 21: Julia Roberts, Coco Austin and daughter, Christie Brinkley and Sailor Brinkley-Cook 

Page 22: Pink and Carey Hart, Miley Cyrus, David Beckham and Marc Anthony 

Page 23: Sienna Miller, A$AP Rocky and Cyndi Lauper 

Page 24: Tessa Thompson and Sasha Lane, Kathy Griffin and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Dax Shepard, G-Eazy 

Page 25: Jennifer Aniston, Ariana Grande, Maddie Ziegler 

Page 26: Melanie Griffith and Goldie Hawn, Jimmy Fallon and Margot Robbie, Camila Mendes, Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon 

Page 27: Spencer Pratt and son, Pete Davidson, Rowan Blanchard 

Page 28: Stars and Their Pets -- Please Adopt, Don’t Shop -- Adrienne Maloof and dogs, Whitney Cummings’ pig, Jonathan Bennett with Happy the dog, Katherine Schwarzenegger and Iskra Lawrence and dog, Eric Decker and son and dog 

Page 29: Alexis Bellino’s dogs, Heidi Klum and Tom Kaulitz and his dog, Beth Stern’s cats (finally, some cats!)

Page 30: Pasta Lovers -- Danielle Staub, Jessie James Decker, Maria Menounos, Sofia Vergara and niece 

Page 31: Kourtney Kardashian’s daughter Penelope, Emilia Clarke 

Page 32: Squad Goals -- Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola and Jenni “JWoww” Farley and Angelina Pivarnick and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Deena Cortese, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. and Seth Green and Clare Grant, Jennifer Meyer and Rachel Zoe and Katharine McPhee and Erin and Sara Foster, Jonah Hill and Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel and Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese

Page 33: Taylor Swift and Camila Cabello and Charli XCX, Judd Apatow and Paul Rudd and Kirsten Dunst and Jim Carrey and James Marsden and Steve Carell and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West and David Koechner and Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen on the set of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues 

Page 34: Stars They’re Just Like Us -- Isla Fisher, Mila Kunis, Sza, Kendra Wilkinson 

Page 35: Jordana Brewster, Padma Lakshmi 

Page 36: Hollywood Moms -- Eva Longoria’s little sidekick 

Page 37: Debra Messing and her ex Daniel Zelman coparenting pros, Alicia Silverstone and ex Chris Jarecki are good at coparenting, Amber Tamblyn trying to make the world a better place for her daughter 

Page 38: Love Lives -- Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk -- a big happy family 

Page 39: Kim Kardashian believes in Kanye West, Kendall Jenner and Ben Simmons back together, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott only have eyes for each other 

Page 40: Vanessa Hudgens in no rush to get married to Austin Butler, Elizabeth Chambers and Armie Hammer still get excited about date nights, Courtney B. Vance knows what a catch Angela Bassett is

Page 41: Jessica Alba and Cash Warren quality time

Page 42: Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson talking marriage

Page 43: John Mayer chatting up Kourtney Kardashian, Maroon 5 having trouble finding guests to perform with them at the Super Bowl’s half-time show, Sarah Hyland’s health struggles 

Page 44: Demi Lovato kissing Henry Levy, Beth Chapman’s cancer has spread to her lungs, A-listers who waited until 2018 to join Instagram -- Jake Gyllenhaal, Princess Eugenie, Michael J. Fox, Nicole Kidman 

Page 45: Cardi B and Offset are over, VIP Scene -- Carly Pearce, Hailey Baldwin, Rami Malek and Lucy Boynton, Post Malone, Patricia Arquette, Kate Upton and Justin Verlander, Sonja Morgan, Heidi Montag, Steven Spielberg 

Page 46: What’s in My Bag -- Jessie James Decker 

Page 47: Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale’s sons will split Christmas between them, Naughty or Nice? -- Dan Levy, Erin Foster, Joy Bryant, Scheana Marie, Emma Bunton, Katherine Schwarzenegger, Busy Philipps, Jana Kramer, Andrew Rannells, Paris Hilton 

Page 48: Cover Story -- Duchess Meghan Markle under attack, Michelle Obama’s advice to Meghan  

Page 52: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie family secrets exposed 

Page 54: A ring for Taylor Swift from Joe Alwyn, her famous exes -- Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer, Conor Kennedy, Harry Styles, Calvin Harris, Tom Hiddleston -- why does she always slam her exes to make Alwyn look like a saint? 

Page 56: Jon Gosselin gets his son back 

Page 58: Homemade Gifts -- Martha Stewart, Thomas Boemer, Alex Guarnaschelli 

Page 60: Lisa Mansour 

Page 62: Henri Bendel’s is closing -- Kelly Rowland, Jamie Chung, Olivia Culpo 

Page 64: Beauty -- Party Dress Primer -- Chrissy Teigen, Jasmine Sanders, Dakota Johnson 

Page 66: Jason Momoa on Aquaman

Page 68: Buzzzz-o-Meter -- Jamie Chung, Carrie Underwood, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Hilary Duff 

Page 70: Fashion Police -- Serayah, Alyssa Milano, Rachel Bilson, Janelle Monae, Mel B, Bebe Rexha 

Page 72: 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me -- Rachel Brosnahan 

[bookishbloggerreviews]

Prometheus vs Alien: Covenant --An Honest Review

Hey guys! So today I decided that I would do my first movie(s) review and the reason why I’m posting this is because I was binge-watching the Alien series again and I wanted to do compare and contrast of the newer Alien movies. So before I review, I’m not here to glorify these movies. Many people clearly already like these movies and they have a lot of good to them obviously. But I will point things out and compliment them when done well, so having said that, lets get started!

(Also, to briefly add in, this is all just speculation and opinion so if I'm totally wrong please feel free to correct me.)

[WARNING: SPOILERS]

If you haven’t watched the movies then I suggest you do so because from this point on, everything I say will be spoilers.

Prometheus vs. Alien: Covenant. 

Which was the better movie and which one stayed closer to the true Alien origin? 

The first person I would like to talk about in these movies is our “villain”, David. 

As we all know David is a “working Joe”, or basically a robot/AI that is meant to serve and assist human beings. And when I say “villain”, I say it as strictly as broken ruler, and here’s why. 

In Prometheus, or what would be the “beginning” of the Alien series, we meet David. In this movie David is assisting his creator attempt to reach HIS creator so that his life may be spared. And during this movie, we have what I would like to define as a “true neutral”. David’s intentions are not full of malice, hate, joy, or happiness. David, if anything, is more like a three year old childish immortal and he is simply.... curious. 

His definitions of life, the world, morality and emotions are so limited and basic that he truly can’t understand them and in this movie, for the majority of the movie, all we see David doing is attempting to interact and understand the world he sees around him. As humans, would we define David’s interactions as wrong, and perhaps maybe even hostile? Sure. Because we relate with the humans. 

In the prologue to Alien: Covenant we are made aware that David fully understands how short-lived and futile human life is, and that he doesn’t understand why he is serving it. Yet all throughout Prometheus, he does not take one violent action against the crew members. 

Now we have a debatable scene where he infects one of the crew members with the pathogen but even then I would not consider that to be a violent action against the crew. He asks Charlie, one of the original scientists how far he would go to achieve his goals and find what he came to find, and in a sense, was asking for permission to infect Charlie with the pathogen. When Charlie said, “Anything”, David took this as permission. But David, although it may have been somewhat sly, still asked for permission and consent, meaning that David, who believes humans are underneath him, still values morality. 

Now if we were to compare this to the David we see in Alien: Covenant, we have an entirely different character. 

In Alien: Covenant, David lies, he deceives, he’s violent, he doesn’t ask for permission or consent, he attacks, and he’s full of malicious intent. Now comparing that to the AI who just wanted to learn more about space, this character threw me for a curve ball. The actor, Michael Fassbender, certainly brings around those same character attributes that make David who he is, but the characters personalities in these movies are two entirely different beings. 

In Prometheus, you can choose to make David the villain, but in Covenant, he IS, undeniably, the villain. 

Now I love talking about character arcs and how characters evolve, however, I believe that this change was too abrupt to accurately say that they should be even labeled as the same character, which is pretty detrimental for David being the main character of a prologue series.

Moving onto the atmosphere Alien brings, anyone who has watched the movie recognizes that old, 1970′s science-fiction/horror atmosphere that is filled with both wonder and fear. And I believe that Prometheus, although not as accurate, managed to retain that original atmosphere. For the majority of the movie, our main characters are simply exploring, using medical and scientific equipment to discover who/what they are and it is only until two thirds through the movie that the “Alien” appears. And even then, it’s not all about the alien at that point. There is still more to the story to be discovered and it’s not just the crew running for their lives. 

But if we compare Alien: Covenant to this, the atmosphere is not only entirely different, but we spend almost half of the movie watching an alien-based action/horror film. The characters in the movie are not “scientists”, as we could describe in Prometheus, in fact, outside of the first half an hour of the movie, the only characters who seem remotely engaged in anything scientific is David, Walter, and Daniels. 

And, of course, we could bring up how hilariously dumb the characters are and how poorly protected they are as scientists (who should probably know better), but in the end, I think we can all safely come to the conclusion that Alien: Covenant, was not made to be a sci-fi/horror, it was made to be an action movie. 

So which movie, overall, was better and stuck with the Alien universe better? I’d have to say it would be Prometheus.

However, did I enjoy Alien:Covenant regardless? 

Yes. Because while I love sci-fi more than action, I still love action. 

Thanks for reading this review. I hope you enjoyed it and if you agreed or disagreed please let me know. I’m always happy to fangirl over stuff together and I’m always up for a debate. (Plus I’m more than happy to talk about how attracted I am to original David and Walter, because those well-written, well-portrayed characters always have me screaming). But until next time, your bookish blogger is out! 

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 6 August 2018

Quick Bits:

Black Badge #1 is a wonderful start to this new series from the team behind Grass Kings. Matt Kindt, Tyler & Hilary Jenkins set up a new story featuring a troop of kids engaging in black ops operations as a pretty neat premise. The characters so far are somewhat unlikable, but that seems partially to be the point.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Bloodshot Salvation #12 closes out this series and with it Jeff Lemire’s tenure with the characters. Amidst all of the crazy government organizations, experiments, and far-flung future assassinations, this has at heart been a story about family and the lengths people will go to in order to protect their own and there’s a wonderful sense of closure at the end here. We know it won’t last as Bloodshot: Rising Spirit is coming, but it’s still nice while it lasts. Also some very nice art from Doug Braithwaite and Jordie Bellaire.

| Published by Valiant

Clankillers #2 is pretty much made by the art from Antonio Fuso and Stefano Simeone. That’s not to take away from the story of family, betrayal, and Irish mythology with Sean Lewis, which is excellent, but Fuso’s art is just so perfectly suited to this. His style reminds me a lot of early Sean Phillips and a bit of Duncan Fegredo.

| Published by AfterShock

Daredevil #606 begins the next chapter for the series and it is ridiculously good. Interspersed with a main narrative of Daredevil tackling a band robbery by Hammerhead, Charles Soule and Phil Noto build up the pieces for the next stage in taking down Kingpin, bringing back two-thirds of Daredevil’s task force from Hunt for Wolverine. They’re a weird group, but it’s obvious that Soule likes writing these characters. Also, the art from Noto is just phenomenal.

| Published by Marvel

Death or Glory #4 is just more brilliance from Rick Remender and Bengal. The art is seriously god tier. The car chase this issue alone is incredible, not to mention the tension of Glory and her charges attempting to escape the abattoir. This is just astoundingly great comics.

| Published by Image / Giant Generator

Exiles #6 takes a little bit of downtime to figure out the new direction for the team to take before immediately dumping them in a new alternate reality. The artwork from Rod Reis is absolutely gorgeous and I really like how Saladin Ahmed seems to be building the team more as a family.

| Published by Marvel

Fantastic Four #1 is a very welcome and long overdue return, but thankfully this is a great issue. Sure, the team technically isn’t back yet, but in the main feature Dan Slott, Sara Pichelli, Elisabetta D’Amico, and Marte Gracia focus on one of the core tenets of these characters: family. And when combined with a sweet and funny flashback of the Four trying to find their way home, this is a good start, with beautiful artwork. That goes also for the back-up Doom story from Slott, Simone Bianchi, and Marco Russo, that gives us a more primal Doom. One that reminds me a bit of the Doom who was trapped on the Heroes Reborn counter-Earth. After his turn as Iron Man, I don’t want to see Doom slide back into outright villainy, but what comes next remains to be seen. Overall, I loved this, and am anxious to see what’s around the corner.

| Published by Marvel

Farmhand #2 is as good as the first issue, as Rob Guillory begins to flesh out the Jenkins family and hint that more strange shenanigans are going on in the town and at the family farm. Great art from Guillory and Taylor Wells.

| Published by Image

Her Infernal Descent #4 takes a few more interesting turns as Lynn takes a walk through “heaven” and then we get the ultimate cliffhanger. This entire series so far has shown a lot of inventiveness from the entire creative team, with Lonnie Nadler, Zac Thompson, Kyle Charles, and Dee Cunniffe all delivering some impressive work. This one kind of ups that with the depiction of Circle H and the angels constructing the condos. Also, the wood of suicides with Hunter S. Thompson is brilliant.

| Published by AfterShock

Hot Lunch Special #1 is a very solid debut for this crime drama from Eliot Rahal and Jorge Fornés. Comparisons to Fargo will probably abound, due to location, but this is much more serious in tone and execution, with some very evocative art from Fornés.

| Published by AfterShock

Hunt for Wolverine: The Adamantium Agenda #4 concludes the second of these minis, where the end result is seemingly all going to be “We didn’t find Logan, but we all found the true Wolverine that resides in our hearts.” I poke fun, but these have been enjoyable, especially this one from Tom Taylor, RB Silva, Adriano di Benedetto, and Guru eFX. Nice humour throughout as Taylor shows he really gets Spider-Man, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones, leading me to hope that somewhere down the line he gets a New Avengers title going. Also some really big revelations that should have both personal and broad implications for the X-Men.

| Published by Marvel

Maestros #7 concludes what has been a funny, irreverent take on magic and fantasy from Steve Skroce and Dave Stewart. For a series that has had some interesting setbacks for our lead, this one’s actually pretty straight-forward, even as it gives us a sympathetic flashback for Mardok’s story.

| Published by Image

Medieval Spawn & Witchblade #4 is a decent conclusion to the series. I’ve liked the story that Brian Holguin and Brian Haberlin have been telling, even as the Spawn’s backstory does indeed reveal itself a take on the Arthurian myth. I’ve really enjoyed the art from Haberlin and Geirrod Van Dyke.

| Published by Image

Nancy Drew #3 has some really nice character moments as the crew tries to put the pieces together of Pete’s mother’s murder and some shady history. The art from Jenn St-Onge and Triona Farrell is perfect for the story.

| Published by Dynamite

Oblivion Song #6 claims to be an end to a story arc, but this book doesn’t really seem to work like that, instead with each issue being a series of transitions in a larger serial narrative. Changes occur and questions abound, but there’s no definitive conclusion to anything, just more story. And it works, because what Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo de Felici, and Annalisa Leoni are creating here is very compelling.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Optimus Prime #22 begins its tie-in to the Unicron event and the march to the end of IDW’s Hasbroverse. Like pretty much all IDW crossovers, it’s woefully out of sync with the event as a whole due to lateness, but it is still entertaining. This gives some of the much-needed back story for how the pieces got to where they were in the early parts of Transformers: Unicron and fleshes out more of the political machinations going on behind the scenes. Great art from Sara Pitre-Durocher and Josh Burcham. 

| Published by IDW

Outpost Zero #2 is not really at all the direction I expected this series to take, but it’s very good. Sean McKeever, Alexandre Tefenkgi, and Jean-Francois Beaulieu have some interesting teen drama on their hands here and a nice mystery to boot.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Port of Earth #8 concludes the second arc, with some fairly frightening implications and revelations that we’ve kind of suspected since the first issue. Zack Kaplan, Andrea Mutti, and Vladimir Popov are telling a very interesting story here.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Predator: Hunters II #1 begins a second series of these new Predator Hunters from Chris Warner, capturing a similar tone and approach as the original Predator film. Nice art from Agustin Padilla and Neeraj Menon.

| Published by Dark Horse

Relay #2 spotlights the dark side of the Relay and what they’re doing to the universe. Some very interesting moral and ethical issues are raised this issue by Zac Thompson and it looks like more to come between the team. Beautiful artwork from Andy Clarke and José Villarrubia. 

| Published by AfterShock

Shadow Roads #2 is another captivating instalment of this series. I love that Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt are back exploring the world of the Sixth Gun and expanding on the weird aspects of that world, with some very impressive artwork from AC Zamudio and Carlos N Zamudio.

| Published by Oni Press

She Could Fly #2 is more strangeness, even as the story comes together in some very interesting ways. I absolutely love the artwork from Martín Morazzo and Miroslav Mrva.

| Published by Dark Horse / Berger Books

Transformers: Lost Light #22 is another issue to do your head in as James Roberts crashes together the threads from the past several years of More Than Meets the Eye and Lost Light. It’s fairly impressive how all of this is coming together and still maintaining the wonderful humour that is always included in the scripts.

| Published by IDW

Transformers: Unicron #3 begins fleshing out some of the Transformers mythology and tying it together with some of the expanded Hasbroverse. It’s nice to see John Barber putting some of the pieces together here even as it heralds the end. Also, this is some of the best art of Alex Milne’s career, really stepping it up a notch, beautifully coloured by Sebastian Cheng and David Garcia Cruz.

| Published by IDW

X-Men Blue #33 explores the future that Magneto was transported to in order to escape Bastion and the Mothervine mutants. Great art from Marcus To and Matt Milla as it really feels like Cullen Bunn is working towards his Magneto endgame.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Accell #13, Amazing Spider-Man #3, Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #22, Animosity: Evolution #7, The Beauty #22, Champions #23, Charlie’s Angels #3, The Dead Hand #5, Dejah Thoris #7, Dissonance #4, Domino #5, Dungeons & Dragons: Evil at Baldur’s Gate #4, Eternal Empire #10, Invader Zim #33, Lumberjanes: A Midsummer Night’s Scheme #1, Mech Cadet Yu #11, Nancy Drew #3, Old Man Logan #45, Quicksilver: No Surrender #4, Spider-Man Annual #1, Spider-Man vs. Deadpool #37, Star Wars: Darth Vader #19, Strangers in Paradise XXV #5, TMNT: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #2, Tomb Raider: Inferno #3, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #35, Unnatural #2, World of Tanks: Citadel #4, Xena: Warrior Princess #7

Recommended Collections: Champions - Volume 3: Champion for a Day, Outcast - Volume 6, Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt, Star Trek: Discovery - The Light of Kahless, Star Wars - Volume 8: Mutiny at Mon Cala, Thicker Than Blood, Vs. - Volume 1

d. emerson eddy is wondering why there isn’t an even larger size cup of coffee. It should also come in jugs. Mugs and jugs.

[wazafam]

Sitcoms have long been one of the cornerstones of the television medium. While some have suggested the new era of television has seen the beginning of the end to traditional sitcoms, there have still been plenty of great examples in the 21st century that have delivered some iconic television characters.

RELATED: 10 Most Expensive Sitcom Episodes Ever Made (& Why They Cost So Much)

While some comedy series, like Atlanta and Fleabag, received huge acclaim by delivering laughs and playing around with tone and structure, these recent sitcoms have proven the simple approach can still work, as long as there are some truly great characters for the audience to fall in love with.

10 Tracy Jordan - 30 Rock

From creator Tina Fey, 30 Rock is a sitcom that explores the behind-the-scenes action of a sketch show similar to Saturday Night Live. It makes sense then that SNL vet Tracy Morgan was cast as the wild star, Tracy Jordan.

Tracy is the wildcard of the series, an impulsive and childish celebrity whose lifestyle added a real energy to the show. He is such an outrageous character that he allows the show to be completely absurd because that's the only way someone like Tracy would make sense in this world.

9 Charlie Kelly – It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Though it took a while to find a solid audience, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has become one of the longest-running sitcoms on television. As its success has grown, so has the love for the show's character, Charlie Kelly.

RELATED: The 10 Best It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Seasons, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Charlie is the janitor of Paddy's Pub. He is repulsive in his eating and general lifestyle habits, but there is also a childish naivety to him that is somehow charming. And given the people he hangs around with, the fact that he is somewhat likable is an accomplishment.

8 Sheldon Cooper – The Big Bang Theory

There are some that see The Big Bang Theory as the kind of show that gives sitcoms a bad name. Despite what one might think of the overall series, it's impossible to argue against its success and the impact of the character of Sheldon Cooper.

The socially awkward and abrasive Sheldon is a character who could have gotten very annoying very quickly. Yet, the show manages to make him an entertaining character who feels unlike any other character on television. His success has even grown beyond the series and into the prequel, Young Sheldon.

7 Gloria Pritchett – Modern Family

Given the ensemble nature of Modern Family, it's hard for one character to stand out among the rest. But quite quickly it became clear that Gloria Pritchett was going to steal the show. Though she is seen as the trophy wife to Jay, Gloria revealed herself to be a much more interesting character than that.

She is a strong and independent woman with an interesting background and her relationship with Jay is very sweet. The great chemistry and storylines she has with the other characters as well make her hilarious and entertaining to watch.

6 Captain Raymond Holt – Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Throughout its run, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has become one of the best feel-good shows on television thanks to its lovable characters. But with all the wacky characters involved in the show, it is the grounded and serious Captain Holt (who is the MVP).

RELATED: Brooklyn Nine-Nine: 10 Most Heartwarming Scenes Of The Entire Series

Holt earns the biggest laughs in the show largely due to his perfectly deadpan performance. His lack of emotion makes every line hilarious and it makes it even funnier when he does have those rare outbursts.

5 Eleanor Shellstrop – The Good Place

The Good Place is one of the cleverest sitcoms of the 21st century as it deals with the afterlife. While that is a brilliant setup for a comedy series, it is really about discovering how to be a good person, as seen through the journey of the show's main character, Eleanor Shellstrop.

Eleanor is a rude and self-centered person and her horrible personality is partially why she is so funny. But it is very impressive how the show is able to gradually have her grow and become a better person without the audience losing interest in her.

4 Larry David – Curb Your Enthusiasm

After being behind-the-scenes of the ground-breaking sitcom Seinfeld, Larry David stepped in front of the camera for Curb Your Enthusiasm, which very much feels like a successor to his previous series.

David plays a (slightly) exaggerated version of himself, living in Hollywood and making enemies with everyone he meets, thanks to his brutally honest observations. What makes Larry such a great character is the freedom of not caring that the lead of a sitcom is a completely unlikeable person.

3 Moira Rose – Schitt's Creek

One of the greatest television success stories in recent memory has been Schitt's Creek. The Canadian comedy gradually built its audience over its run and made Emmy history in its final season.

RELATED: Schitt's Creek: 5 Characters We Wanted More Of (& 5 Who Overstayed Their Welcome)

Among the many awards it has won, Catherine O'Hara has been rightly showered with praise for her performance as Moira Rose. It's hard to describe what O'Hara is doing with this character and it might even take a couple of episodes to get used to, but she is hilarious and captivating with every line of dialogue. This will go down as an iconic television performance.

2 Ron Swanson – Parks And Recreation

Though Parks and Recreation was initially seen as a knock-off of The Office, at first, it soon established its own identity as a great sitcom. While the character of Leslie Knope deserves recognition, Ron Swanson has become one of the greatest television creations in recent memory.

Ron's serious and anti-social demeanor might seem hard to love, but the more he leaned into that persona, the more endearing he became. From his meat-centric eating habits to his lifestyle to his disdain for the government, Ron was a joy to watch and could even be quite sweet at times.

1 Michael Scott – The Office

With the acclaim of the original The Office, the American version had the daunting task of making it a worthwhile remake. Luckily, the show had a secret weapon in the form of Michael Scott. While David Brent was hilarious himself, Michael nailed the awkward boss position with a good amount of heart.

Michael's endless faux pas and failure to understand social boundaries made for countless hilarious moments. He is one of the reasons the show remains so rewatchable and it explains the drastic dip in quality when he left.

NEXT: The Office Vs. Parks & Rec: Which Workplace Comedy Is Funniest, According to Reddit

10 Best Sitcom Characters Of The 21st Century | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/2Q7c6M0

[quarantineandchillthings]

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Hi guys! 

For the first week I will be writing about one of the most famous Tv shows of all time, as well as my absolute favourite, and have watched more times than I can count, FRIENDS!!! This show is such an easy watch during quarantine as you really don’t have to be engaged the whole time. It also puts me in a much happier mood after hearing about the number of new cases each day :/

Now, I know friends is quite beloved tv show, some might say for ‘basic’ people, but hear me out! Friends is possibly the reason I gave other sitcoms a chance. The fact that through the generations this show has gained so many fans which is absolutely crazy. I’m sure most people will know the plot, however, the show follows three women and three men in their 20 somethings that are living in New York, navigating adulthood. First of all, the humour is light hearted and easy to understand. Second of all the characters individual quirks are absolutely hilarious, and it is great to watch the six of them evolve over time. Characters like Rachel, Ross and Monica were more on the serious side at the start of the series which was a great contrast to Chandler, Joey and Phoebes (especially Phoebes) humorous characters. However by the end of the show I found that all of the characters grew into their quirkiness. The catchphrases made on the show were so memorable and quotable, which I love, such as Joeys, “how you doin”, “ Monicas, “I KNOW”, and Chandlers “Can I be…”. If you know, you know. The thing that I love most about this show is that it never ages and it never gets old. Doesn’t matter how many times I have watched it, it never fails to make me laugh. I also know people much younger than me and much older than me that love the show, its amazing how many generations have fallen in love with this sitcom. 

My favourite season of the show would have to be season 5. This was the season that Monica and Chandlers relationship started. This would have to be my favourite relationship from the whole show. Their dynamic changed the whole tone of the show as well as created so many fun storylines, such as when the group finds out about their secret relationship (which is definitely one of my favourite episodes). 

Although the show is hilarious, some of the jokes did not age well. In particular the fat shaming of Monica would not have passed nowadays. Flashback episodes always showed Monica at a much larger weight and always was made out to be unpopular, weird and unattractive. This even went so far as to make her future husband, Chandler being the reason she decided to start losing weight as a result of him making fun of her. She was always the butt of the joke when it came to ‘Fat monica’. I don't think these fat shaming jokes would be widely accepted as they were in the 90s to early 2000s. As well as these kinds of jokes there also seemed to be many homophobic jokes that definitely would not be used in Sitcoms today. Although the show did feature a few lesbian and gay characters, most notably Carol and Susan, there were many one-liners that made fun of being gay or in Ross’ situation, having an ex wife who happened to leave him for a women. The show also involved some transphobic jokes in reference to Chandler's father. Although people may say it was just a different time, their jokes do not age well in today's climate. Friends also lacked cultural diversity, with the majority of the cast being Caucasian. Most characters who were people of colour had very minor roles. The biggest role a POC actress played was African American actress Aisha Tyler, who played the recurring role of Charlie seven seasons into the show. It is a shame that it took so long for the show to do this, however the co-creator of the show Marta Kauffman has spoken out about wishing she had made ‘very different’ diversity decisions. 

My favourite episodes:

The One Where Everybody Finds Out 

The One With The Embryos

The One With All The Cheesecakes

The One With The Routine

The One Where Ross Got High 

Just to name a few…

FUN FACTS 

- The role of Ross Gellar was actually written for David Schwimmer 

- The show was almost called ‘Insomnia Cafe’ or ‘Friends like Us’ 

- The roles of Chandler and Phoebe were supposed to be secondary roles

- Friends was filmed in front of a live audience 

- James Michael Tyler who played ‘Gunther’ was an actual barista when he got cast for the show 

You can find more fun facts here! 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/56565/25-things-you-might-not-know-about-friends

The wonderful Actors and Actresses and how to keep up with their daily lives:

Jennifer Anniston -

https://www.instagram.com/jenniferaniston/?hl=en

Courteney Cox - 

https://www.instagram.com/courteneycoxofficial/?hl=en

Lisa Kudrow - 

https://www.instagram.com/lisakudrow/?hl=en

Matthew Perry - 

https://www.instagram.com/mattyperry4/?hl=en

Matt Leblanc -

https://www.instagram.com/mleblanc/?hl=en

David Schwimmer - 

https://www.instagram.com/_schwim_/?hl=en

The cast of friends is so amazing, and as actors and actresses they have worked on some other amazing shows and movies that I think you should check out!

Jennifer Aniston - ‘The Morning Show’ 

Courteney Cox - ‘Cougar Town’

Lisa Kudrow - ‘Space Force’ 

Matthew Perry - ‘The Odd Couple’

Matt Leblanc - ‘Man With a Plan’

David Schwimmer - ‘American Crime Story: The People vs OJ’

[camstvthoughtsandreview-blog]

My Top 10 TV Shows

I wanted my first real post to be one that I really had to think about whilst writing and because there are so many TV shows that I love, it was difficult for me to choose a top 10. Nevertheless, I did it and I am aware that not everyone will agree with my choices and reasons however these are my opinions, I would love to know what you think!

10. Archer

Starting off the list is the adult cartoon comedy Archer, revolving around Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) and a team of covert operatives at an international spy agency. Archer somehow finds a way to make dangerous and life threatening situations seem hilarious when the team experiences them. Archer and Malory's dysfunctional mother-son relationship , Pam’s dirty mind and Cyril cowardliness all create exceptional comedic moments. The superior writing of the show make every episode just as good if not better than the one before. I am so glad that the show has been confirmed to have two more seasons and cannot wait for them to start.

9. Attack on Titan

This dark, edgy series was my introduction to the world of anime. The series follows Eren, Mikasa and Armin, as well as the other members of the 104th cadet corps, as they fight for their lives against the titans. The brutality of the show keeps me on edge when watching it, the danger the characters face is very clearly real and we are constantly reminded that humanity is on the losing side of the war against the titans. Characters die like fodder and it keeps the show interesting, it leaves the ones who survive as well developed, amazing characters. The twists that occur throughout the show are shocking and unexpected keeping the audience from being bored whilst watching. I can happily say I believe this to be the best anime to date.

8. Friends

Ever since I was young, Friends has always been a show I could watch to distract myself. For the few who have no knowledge of the show, it’s about a group of six friends living in New York City making their way through adulthood. I re-watch all 10 seasons every few months because I can watch it over and over without getting bored. The show has some of the best comedic moments on TV and will forever been known as one of the best sitcoms in history. The main six characters perfectly support each other, with each playing off one another perfectly. There are so many memorable quotes/moments/episodes that were created throughout the course of the 10 seasons and Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) will forever be one of my favourite characters of all time.

7. Daredevil

The show that started the path to The Defenders, Netflix’s Daredevil is an amazing adaptation of the Daredevil comics onto the small screen. The show follows Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), lawyer by day, vigilante by night, as he attempts to destroy corruption and crime in Hell’s Kitchen. After the not so successful Ben Affleck movie, watching a show that accurately represents Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk as they were truly meant to be shown is so refreshing. Without the success of Daredevil, the shows that followed would have just been a distant dream, however luckily that was not the case. Daredevil has some of the best fight scenes that I have ever seen, from both TV and movies, the hallway sequence, the Mad Dogs of Hell vs Daredevil or the prison fight between Frank Castle and a group of inmates are just to name a few of the incredibly choreographed fights seen that bring the brutality of the comics to life, putting the show on a whole new level of entertainment.

6. Firefly

This one season long Sci-Fi, Western space adventure series from Joss Whedon was the best sci-fi show from the early 2000’s, it was so great that it is still generating fan support and new fans learn of the shows greatness everyday. The show follows Captain Malcom Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his crew aboard the Serenity as they fight, smuggle and steal their way through space. The characters and writing are the reason I love this show, each character has strengths and flaws it's what makes them human and relatable, it's what keeps the show interesting over the course of its 14 episodes. All of the characters have a past that isn’t predictable or cliche, which makes them all unique and in turn made the show what it is. While the movie sequel, Serenity, was a nice way to end the series, the show deserved to have a much longer run but will forever be one of the best sci-fi shows to date.

5. Parks and Recreation

When it comes to comedies, Parks and Recreation is the best. The show revolves around Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and the other employees of the Parks and Recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana as they tried to improve their community. With such a wide range of different characters come together the show creates a refreshing take on government employees. I am a strong believer that Amy Poehler is one of the best comedians of our time and this show just supports my point. Leslie Knope’s intense level of friendship for Ann Perkins and the other members of the Parks and Rec team creates many hilarious moments and interactions between the group. Each character's quirks and personalities make the show what it is. Before being exposed to Parks and Rec, I had never thought a series about the federal government would be so entertaining however this show proved me so wrong. While I’m sad the show is over, I think the ending was the perfect way to finish it and it will definitely be a show that I will watch over and over again.

4. Jessica Jones

This dark adaptation of the Alias comic book series is one of the best things Netflix has produced. The TV side of the MCU is just as good as the movie side, in my opinion. Out of all the Marvel shows, I believe Jessica Jones has the best plot, following Jessica as she deals with her trauma and trying to save others from the same fate at the hands of Kilgrave and includes incredible performances from Krysten Ritter as the titular character and David Tennant as the shows villain, Kilgrave. Jessica Jones is the first onscreen adaptation of one of the darker comics from Marvel, giving us a look at a more relatable characters who have been through traumatic experiences that sadly happen in everyday life, making Jessica Jones able to connect to so many people, despite having super powers. The supporting cast from the show is my favourite from all of the Marvel Netflix shows, including Rachael Taylor and Carrie Ann Moss, which is one of the reasons that I am excited for the release of season 2 next year.

3. Arrow

At number 3 on my list is the show that kicked off the CW Arrowverse as well as being the start to my obsession with watching TV shows. The show follows Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) as he returns home to Starling City after being stranded on an island for five years, upon his return he puts on a hood to honour his past and save his city. I started the show when the second season was airing, I watched the first half of the second season of the show first, before watching the first season and falling in love with the show. This series was the reason I discovered how much I love character progression as all of the characters in the show have had such incredible journeys. The reason the show is not at number 1 or 2 is because of some poor writing choices throughout seasons 3 and 4 that I was not a fan of, which I will discuss in a later post, but despite this I still love the show and season 5 pushed the standards of the series to an all time high and I am highly anticipating the return of the show next month.

2. Game of Thrones

As everybody who watches knows, this show is incredible. Game of Thrones explores nine noble families fighting for their claim to the Iron Throne to become the rulers of Westeros. The settings, story lines and characters make the series one of the best shows in television history. The brutality and seemingly heartlessness of the shows plot make it so intriguing as it constantly keeps me on edge, never before has a series made me so scared to get attached to any of the characters out of fear of a brutal, gory death scene that shocks me to my core. Despite this the show still makes my heart pound with every intense battle scene, betrayal and any scene involving the crazy beautiful Emilia Clarke as the true ruler of the seven kingdoms, Daenerys Targaryen. The shows incredible seventh season made me realize how much I love this show, and am eagerly awaiting the final installment of the series. 

1. Agents of SHIELD

Agents of SHIELD is my favourite show for many reasons, the characters in the show are some of the most well developed and relatable characters in a show about superheroes. The series follows a team of SHIELD agents led by Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) as they fight to protect the world from any threat. Despite the unrealistic aspects of the show (e.g. superpowers, resurrection etc) that make it even more entertaining, the inclusion of bad-ass characters and fight scenes in addition to heart warming story lines and relationships are the main reason why I love this show. All of the characters have such great, complex relationships and they can all be related too by many spectators, whether it be FitzSimmons’ (Iain De Caestecker/ Elizabeth Henstridge) journey to being together, the incredible story line of Skye/Daisy (Chloe Bennet) meeting her parents, or the loss of friends which is explored multiple times throughout the series. Having re-watched the show countless times and still being affected by each character, plot twist and death throughout the incredible four seasons make this my all time favourite show. I cannot wait for season 5 to begin.

Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought and anything else you want me to write about. Also, recommend any TV shows that you think I should watch. Thanks again!!!

[recentnews18-blog]

New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/the-nerds-watch-the-best-sci-fi-and-fantasy-streaming-in-september/

The Nerd's Watch: The Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Streaming in September

Scott Pilgrim is coming to Netflix.Photo: Universal

You can get comprehensive lists of everything coming to streaming services anywhere. But half of those titles you don’t care about, and the other half are terrible. Where’s the good stuff? io9 is here to help.

Below you’ll find what we deem to be the best sci-fi and fantasy movies and TV coming to Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu in September.

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Wakanda forever…streaming on your TV.Photo: Disney

Netflix

Available September 1

Groundhog Day – Harold Ramis’ genius time travel comedy was a little under-appreciated when it was released but in the decades since, it’s become more and more revered. Deservedly so. It’s insanely rewatchable, funny, and heartwarming.

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King Kong – The Netflix press release just lists this as “King Kong,” but we’ve confirmed it’s Peter Jackson’s 2005 take on the giant ape story. Obviously, it isn’t the best version (that honor goes to the one that came out back in 1933), but it’s not too bad.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – No, it’s not as good as the book, but this adaptation of the wonderful, inventive Douglas Adams novel is about as good as you can get. It’s funny, it’s weird, it’s got a great cast, and it’s definitely worth a rewatch.

September 2

Lilo & Stitch and The Emperor’s New Groove – Besides the fact that these are both Disney animated films, they really don’t have much in common. But each is noteworthy in its own way and will make any kids in your orbit very happy, especially the charming, Hawaii-set extraterrestrial tale Lilo & Stitch.

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September 4

Black Panther – The highest-grossing U.S. film of the year—and one of the most entertaining, well-made films of any year—comes to Netflix, and now Wakanda really is forever.

September 7

Next Gen – To be fair, we don’t know if this Netflix original is good. But the trailer suggests a theatrical-worthy animated adventure about a young girl who befriends a killer robot. We’re intrigued.

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September 16

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World – Edgar Wright’s amazing, kinetic adaptation of the Bryan Lee O’Malley comic book series may be not just one of the best comic book movies of all time, but one of the best video game movies of all time too, despite not being about a video game. Also, much of the cast has gotten insanely famous since this movie so rewatching it has an added layer of awesome.

September 17

The Witch – If you’re reading this column, odds are you’ve seen The Witch already. If you haven’t, though, mark down this date. It’s one of the creepiest, most gusty horror movies in a long time, and is about a Puritan family being stalked by an ancient evil.

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September 21

Maniac – Again, we have yet to see this Netflix original limited series, but based on the brief glimpses that have been released, it feels safe to assume that Cary Fukunaga’s latest, which stars Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, will be pretty great.

September 25

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – Though many things have changed about the Pirates franchise over the years (Johnny Depp’s public image, increasingly bad sequels, etc), this first film remains a modern miracle: a theme park ride that became an incredibly exciting and funny movie that holds up over repeat viewings.

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A Wrinkle in Time – The reviews on Ava DuVernay’s recent adaptation were pretty mixed. But now that it’s coming to Netflix, it feels like a good time to either revisit it with fresh eyes or see it for the first time, if you missed it in theaters.

September 26

The Hurricane Heist – Of all the great movies coming to streaming this month, this may be the one I’m most excited about. I haven’t seen it yet, but it feels like it would be the perfect, dumb film to stream and enjoy.

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Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood is coming to streaming.Photo: Warner Bros.

Amazon

Available September 1

Beowulf – I haven’t seen Robert Zemeckis’ performance capture retelling of the famous poem since it was released in 2007, but I loved it back then. I’m sure the effects don’t hold up 11 years later but I’d imagine the performances and script do. And now that it’s on streaming, I can check.

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Big Top Pee-wee – This sequel to 1986’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure isn’t quite on that film’s level, but it’s still worth a watch. The weirdly wonderful, circus-set story is different and still perfect in a Pee-wee way.

Double Impact – Two Van Dammes for the price of one? Yes, please. Double Impact is undoubtedly one of the most memorable films of the action star’s career. Is it one of the best? Debatable, but it’s well worth a stream or two. (Also available on Hulu.)

Dragonheart – From the director of The Fast and the Furious as well as xXx comes this Dennis Quaid-starring fantasy adventure that was nominated for an Oscar for its CG dragons. It’s not all that memorable but it’s entertaining and exciting to be sure.

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Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II – The original Ghostbusters is an all-time classic. The sequel isn’t, but still has its moments. Either way, Ghostbusters II on its worst day is one of the best movies coming to streaming, and if you can watch the original, too, that’s even better.

Prancer – The 1989 Christmas tale Prancer is one of those movies you definitely saw when you were growing up, really liked, but probably haven’t thought about in 20 years. Now it’s on Amazon to help you jump-start that nostalgic Christmas spirit.

Pumpkinhead and Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings – Halloween is just around the corner, so it’s cool that one of the lesser-known horror franchises is coming to streaming. Only the first film, directed by Stan Winston, was released theatrically, but if you want a good cult horror series to dive into, here’s a great start. (Also available on Hulu.)

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Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – This Kevin Costner film is probably best known for its uber-popular theme song by Bryan Adams (“Everything I Do, I Do It For You”) but for a certain generation, like mine, it was also our formative Robin Hood. It doesn’t hold up particularly well, but it’s still full of 1990s awesomeness.

The Amityville Horror – Famous for being based on an alleged true story, this 1979 film starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder is not only good and scary, it’s historically significant for starting a horror franchise that’s alive and well to this day. (Also available on Hulu.)

Two Nicolas Cages for the price of one. Photo: Sony

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Hulu

Available September 1

13 Going on 30 – This Jennifer Garner romantic comedy isn’t just delightful, it’s got a Marvel-ous supporting cast including Mark Ruffalo as the love interest, Andy Serkis as the boss, and Judy Greer as the frenemy. It’s a movie you can watch again and again.

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Adaptation – When was the last time you watched Adaptation? Even if the answer is “yesterday,” now is a great time for a revisit. Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze’s imaginative adaptation of Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief is meta, hilarious, profound, and perfect.

The Bone Collector – It’s always disappointing when a film with two of the biggest actors in the world, in this case Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, doesn’t live up to that level of talent. The Bone Collector is like that, but it’s not terrible, and the combined charisma of late-1990s Denzel and Angelina is worth a lot.

Field of Dreams – If you stream it, we will watch.

The Fly – David Cronenberg’s creepy, gross, but oh-so-awesome film about a scientist( Jeff Goldblum) who fuses with a fly has to be seen to be believed. And if you’ve already seen it, see it again.

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Miracle on 34th Street – This 1994 remake of the 1947 Christmas classic is actually pretty great. Richard Attenborough plays Santa, John Hughes co-wrote the script, and while the story doesn’t change much, the modern setting and budget make it feel even grander than the original.

Poltergeist II: The Other Side – While this sequel is certainly inferior to its original, it brings back the first film’s cast and continues that story. For that alone, if you like the original Poltergeist (and who doesn’t?), this is worth a watch. (Also available on Amazon)

Signs – Signs came out at the height of M. Night Shyamalan hype and was a huge hit, but doesn’t really get the same love as some of his other films. I think it should. It’s got big ideas, a great ending, and some gorgeous filmmaking.

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Unbreakable – While Signs might be good, Unbreakable is great. We’ve written about it extensively, especially with the sequel finally coming out, and now you can catch up before Glass hits theaters in January. It’s one of the best and most inventive superhero movies ever.

What Dreams May Come – This sumptuous Robin Williams movie about a man going to heaven never quite lives up to its expectations, but it’s crazy ambitious and worth a stream for the visuals and lead performance alone.

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Source: https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-nerds-watch-the-best-sci-fi-and-fantasy-streaming-1828427005

[nightmareonfilmstreet]

[Recap] STRANGER THINGS 2, Episodes 1-5: What Goes Up, Must Come Upside Down

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[Recap] STRANGER THINGS 2, Episodes 1-5: What Goes Up, Must Come Upside Down

Stranger Things just debuted its second season on Netflix. Last year’s breakout viral sensation garnered critical acclaim and audience goodwill for its heady mix of nostalgia and horror, appearing on multiple end of year lists and snagging two Golden Globe nominations.

So how does the “sequel” (as series creators The Duffer Brothers have taken to calling it) fare? Read on for my recap of the first five episodes of season two.

Overall thoughts on Season 2

Immediate thoughts upon finishing the season: it’s more of the same, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Duffer Brothers clearly know the show and their audience and even if at times they’re prone to replicating elements from Season One, I would argue that the season wraps up in a more satisfying fashion. Noah Schnapp (Will) proves to be the show’s secret weapon: the young actor has an uncanny ability to play a range of different roles to perfection. Bonus points for a more successful climax in round two, as well.

Episodic Breakdown

As people make their way through the new episodes, Nightmare on Film Street has prepared episodic recaps so be sure to bookmark this page and come back when you finish each episode. Look for the recap of episodes six – nine tomorrow.

Will doesn’t fit in in the season premiere of Stranger Things “Mad Max”

Episode 1 – “Mad Max”

Online chatter suggested the first episode back was slow, but ‘MadMax’ is simply a table setter. We need this reintroduction to Hawkins, Indiana and its denizens in order to set up the season. That means introducing new characters like Sean Astin’s Bob, Paul Reiser’s creepy Dr. Owens and new schoolmates Billy (Dacre Montgomery) and the titular Max (Sadie Sink) – though neither of the kids are given much to do.

“Mad Max” has a few intriguing supernatural occurrences to whet our appetite, including the mysterious poisoning at the pumpkin patch, the lit up control board at Hawkins Laboratory and, of course, Will’s visions of the looming insect-like threat (which would be more striking if it hadn’t been spoiled in Every.Single.Trailer). As for everyone’s favourite Eggo-eating, telepathic feral little girl, the Duffer Brothers naturally keep Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) hidden until the very end of the episode as one of several examples of characters keeping secrets from each other.

At once point, Dr. Owens tells Joyce (Winona Ryder) that things will get worst before they get better. For her, that’s terrible news. For Stranger Things viewers, that can only means good things ahead.

Odds and Ends:

The cold open features a series of unknown characters getting chased by police before one passenger displays Eleven-like powers that allows them to escape. This will clearly be paid off later (see episode seven in tomorrow’s recap – or rather don’t), but for now, it’s little more than a distraction from our reintroduction to Hawkins.

Danger looms for Will on Halloween night in 2×02 “Trick or Treat, Freak”

Episode 2 – “Trick or Treat, Freak”

First off, let’s address the ridiculous #JusticeForBarb storyline that’s dominating the Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Steve (Joe Keery) story line. The Duffer Brothers clearly want to address the outcry for the fan favourite from Season One, but can we all agree that they’re leaning into it a little too much? Thankfully all it takes is one drunk party for the real fireworks to come out: Nancy drunkenly confesses about the inadequacies of her relationship with Steve and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) gets to put the object of his affection to bed. Just remember kids: repression is bad because it manifests as a giant red punch stain on the front of your First Lady/Figure Skater costume.

The other element that stands out about episode two is that there’s a lot more comedy: the four boys are the only ones who dress up for Halloween at school, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) struggle to speak to Max, Eleven passes her time watching soaps and dimwitted Officer Callahan (John Reynolds) mistakenly touches poisoned crops with his bare hands.

That last piece – the mysterious crop damage storyline – also begins to take shape as we learn that most of Hawkins’ farms have been affected by a mysterious poison, hinting at bigger things to come.

Odds and Ends:

Are the Duffer Brothers candy addicts? First Will and Dr. Owens debate Reese’s Pieces last episode and now there’s a prolonged discussion about the terribleness of 3 Musketeers bars? (Which, for the record, are delicious)

Initially it seemed like this episode was going to offer more insight about contentious siblings Billy and Max, but aside from their chicken-inspired driving on the highway, they remain obscure figures on the periphery. What’s their deal?

Bob and Joyce share a quiet moment in 2×03 “The Pollywog”

Episode 3 – “The Pollywog”

While I appreciate the effort being put into developing Sheriff Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven’s relationship, I don’t think that the amount of screen time dedicated to this plot line is well spent. Three episodes in and we’re seeing the same content covered repeatedly: she was lost in the woods in winter, Hopper found her after a few feral encounters and they set up a temporary home with three “don’t be stupid” rules. We get it Stranger Things. At this point it just feels like the Duffer Brothers are delaying bringing Eleven back together with the gang.

Thankfully the second season’s dual mythology plot lines continue to develop nicely:

Hopper enlists Dr. Owens to investigate the contagion affecting the crops, which we learn is accounting for the odd smell that Billy and Max described in the last episode.

Meanwhile, Dustin names the “pollywog” creature that he finds in his trash D’Artagnan (because 80s!). A quick examination of the new species reveals that D’Art is a) afraid of the light b) growing exponentially and c) tied to the thing that Will spit into his sink at the end of Season One. Unfortunately the unnatural occurrences end in disaster when Will takes Bob‘s advice to confront the monster head on and he’s literally infected by the smoke monster from his visions. Oops!

Odds and Ends:

Was anyone else surprised to see Shirts vs Skins in gym class was a real thing? I won’t lie: all of these scenes felt remarkably homoerotic. It’s tantamount to a late night flick on Cinemax.

The aftermath of Will’s attack in 2×04 “Will The Wise”

Episode 4 – “Will The Wise”

After the cliffhanger possession ending of the last episode, we pick right up with Will, who claims not to remember what happened to him. After some prodding by Joyce, Will reveals that the creature wanted inside him and their parasitic relationship is deepened when Will refuses to take a hot bath, proclaiming “He likes it cold.”

When Hopper finally arrives at the Byers residence (following an uncomfortable battle of wills with Eleven after she abuses his 3 rules), there’s no narrative clarity about what’s happening, but it still feels like forward momentum. The result – Will confiding in Hopper and Joyce, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) revealing Will’s secret to Dustin and Lucas – makes “Will The Wise” the most satisfying episode of the season to date.

Unfortunately I simply cannot care about the stuff with Nancy and Jonathan and Barb’s mom. The only element of this story line that worked for me was the editing of the sequence in the park, which effectively highlighted Nancy and Jonathan‘s paranoia. The suggestion that these high school students could pull off a covert sting operation against the Hawkins Lab guys is a bit of a laugh, but we’ll see where it goes.

Odds and Ends:

Eleven‘s investigation into her history hits the jackpot when she discovers Hawkins Lab boxes hidden under the floor of Hopper‘s cabin. From there she’s able to connect with her very-much-alive mom, who identifies Eleven as “Jane” before disappearing in a literal puff of smoke.

I’m definitely losing interest in Billy and Max‘s storyline. Is there anything more to this than the fact that he’s racist?

RIP Mews. It always sucks when animals are killed on TV and that poor dead kitty didn’t deserve to be D’Art’s snack. 🙁

Will’s illness is finally address in 2×05 “Dig Dug”

Episode 5 – “Dig Dug”

This is essentially a “choose your own adventure” episode. Most of the characters venture off on their own: Hopper spends the episode foolishly investigating the tunnel system without back-up; Joyce, Mike, Will and Bob decode Will‘s drawings; Lucas catches Max up to speed, and Nancy and Jonathan and Eleven go on separate road trips.

I definitely appreciated the grotty visuals of what Hopper encounters in the tunnels (the blast to the face by a not-at-all-anus-like vine is particularly visceral and icky). Meanwhile Bob earns his high school “Brain” nickname when he deduces that the drawings are a map of Hawkins, though admittedly, hadn’t we all figured this out well in advance? It seems pretty obvious.

The two mythologies finally collide when Will‘s map leads to Hopper, whose survival ironically depends on his smoking habit. Luckily Joyce, Bob and the Hawkins Lab army show up just in time, ending the episode on another cliffhanger when it is revealed (unsurprisingly) that Will‘s physical health is connected to the tunnel vines and he winds up in Grand Mal territory.

Odds and Ends:

I’m glad that Dustin is no longer acting stupid about how dangerous D’Art is. It was evident from the start that the unknown creature was dangerous and “Dig Dug” confirms that as D’Art grows, he becomes more of an (unnatural) threat.

Let’s take a moment to recognize the comedic genius of Lucas‘ sister Erica (Priah Ferguson), who is officially the Dustin of this season. She’s equal parts annoying and hilarious. I love her.

Finally, Eleven‘s storyline continues to (annoyingly) exist completely outside of the main narrative. This episode she meets her Aunt Becky (Amy Seimetz), a Clea DuVall-esque woman looking after her mother. What follows is essentially a redo of Season One: Eleven‘s mom communicates via flickering lights and there’s a whole extended flashback that’s basically the Stranger Things version of Hodor’s “Hold The Door” backstory from Game of Thrones.

Check back tomorrow for recaps of the final four episodes of season two. In the interim, leave your impressions below in the comments!

[nightmareonfilmstreet]

[Recap] STRANGER THINGS 2, Episodes 1-5: What Goes Up, Must Come Upside Down

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[Recap] STRANGER THINGS 2, Episodes 1-5: What Goes Up, Must Come Upside Down

Stranger Things just debuted its second season on Netflix. Last year’s breakout viral sensation garnered critical acclaim and audience goodwill for its heady mix of nostalgia and horror, appearing on multiple end of year lists and snagging two Golden Globe nominations.

So how does the “sequel” (as series creators The Duffer Brothers have taken to calling it) fare? Read on for my recap of the first five episodes of season two.

Overall thoughts on Season 2

Immediate thoughts upon finishing the season: it’s more of the same, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Duffer Brothers clearly know the show and their audience and even if at times they’re prone to replicating elements from Season One, I would argue that the season wraps up in a more satisfying fashion. Noah Schnapp (Will) proves to be the show’s secret weapon: the young actor has an uncanny ability to play a range of different roles to perfection. Bonus points for a more successful climax in round two, as well.

Episodic Breakdown

As people make their way through the new episodes, Nightmare on Film Street has prepared episodic recaps so be sure to bookmark this page and come back when you finish each episode. Look for the recap of episodes six – nine tomorrow.

Will doesn’t fit in in the season premiere of Stranger Things “Mad Max”

Episode 1 – “Mad Max”

Online chatter suggested the first episode back was slow, but ‘MadMax’ is simply a table setter. We need this reintroduction to Hawkins, Indiana and its denizens in order to set up the season. That means introducing new characters like Sean Astin’s Bob, Paul Reiser’s creepy Dr. Owens and new schoolmates Billy (Dacre Montgomery) and the titular Max (Sadie Sink) – though neither of the kids are given much to do.

“Mad Max” has a few intriguing supernatural occurrences to whet our appetite, including the mysterious poisoning at the pumpkin patch, the lit up control board at Hawkins Laboratory and, of course, Will’s visions of the looming insect-like threat (which would be more striking if it hadn’t been spoiled in Every.Single.Trailer). As for everyone’s favourite Eggo-eating, telepathic feral little girl, the Duffer Brothers naturally keep Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) hidden until the very end of the episode as one of several examples of characters keeping secrets from each other.

At once point, Dr. Owens tells Joyce (Winona Ryder) that things will get worst before they get better. For her, that’s terrible news. For Stranger Things viewers, that can only means good things ahead.

Odds and Ends:

The cold open features a series of unknown characters getting chased by police before one passenger displays Eleven-like powers that allows them to escape. This will clearly be paid off later (see episode seven in tomorrow’s recap – or rather don’t), but for now, it’s little more than a distraction from our reintroduction to Hawkins.

Danger looms for Will on Halloween night in 2×02 “Trick or Treat, Freak”

Episode 2 – “Trick or Treat, Freak”

First off, let’s address the ridiculous #JusticeForBarb storyline that’s dominating the Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Steve (Joe Keery) story line. The Duffer Brothers clearly want to address the outcry for the fan favourite from Season One, but can we all agree that they’re leaning into it a little too much? Thankfully all it takes is one drunk party for the real fireworks to come out: Nancy drunkenly confesses about the inadequacies of her relationship with Steve and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) gets to put the object of his affection to bed. Just remember kids: repression is bad because it manifests as a giant red punch stain on the front of your First Lady/Figure Skater costume.

The other element that stands out about episode two is that there’s a lot more comedy: the four boys are the only ones who dress up for Halloween at school, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) struggle to speak to Max, Eleven passes her time watching soaps and dimwitted Officer Callahan (John Reynolds) mistakenly touches poisoned crops with his bare hands.

That last piece – the mysterious crop damage storyline – also begins to take shape as we learn that most of Hawkins’ farms have been affected by a mysterious poison, hinting at bigger things to come.

Odds and Ends:

Are the Duffer Brothers candy addicts? First Will and Dr. Owens debate Reese’s Pieces last episode and now there’s a prolonged discussion about the terribleness of 3 Musketeers bars? (Which, for the record, are delicious)

Initially it seemed like this episode was going to offer more insight about contentious siblings Billy and Max, but aside from their chicken-inspired driving on the highway, they remain obscure figures on the periphery. What’s their deal?

Bob and Joyce share a quiet moment in 2×03 “The Pollywog”

Episode 3 – “The Pollywog”

While I appreciate the effort being put into developing Sheriff Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven’s relationship, I don’t think that the amount of screen time dedicated to this plot line is well spent. Three episodes in and we’re seeing the same content covered repeatedly: she was lost in the woods in winter, Hopper found her after a few feral encounters and they set up a temporary home with three “don’t be stupid” rules. We get it Stranger Things. At this point it just feels like the Duffer Brothers are delaying bringing Eleven back together with the gang.

Thankfully the second season’s dual mythology plot lines continue to develop nicely:

Hopper enlists Dr. Owens to investigate the contagion affecting the crops, which we learn is accounting for the odd smell that Billy and Max described in the last episode.

Meanwhile, Dustin names the “pollywog” creature that he finds in his trash D’Artagnan (because 80s!). A quick examination of the new species reveals that D’Art is a) afraid of the light b) growing exponentially and c) tied to the thing that Will spit into his sink at the end of Season One. Unfortunately the unnatural occurrences end in disaster when Will takes Bob‘s advice to confront the monster head on and he’s literally infected by the smoke monster from his visions. Oops!

Odds and Ends:

Was anyone else surprised to see Shirts vs Skins in gym class was a real thing? I won’t lie: all of these scenes felt remarkably homoerotic. It’s tantamount to a late night flick on Cinemax.

The aftermath of Will’s attack in 2×04 “Will The Wise”

Episode 4 – “Will The Wise”

After the cliffhanger possession ending of the last episode, we pick right up with Will, who claims not to remember what happened to him. After some prodding by Joyce, Will reveals that the creature wanted inside him and their parasitic relationship is deepened when Will refuses to take a hot bath, proclaiming “He likes it cold.”

When Hopper finally arrives at the Byers residence (following an uncomfortable battle of wills with Eleven after she abuses his 3 rules), there’s no narrative clarity about what’s happening, but it still feels like forward momentum. The result – Will confiding in Hopper and Joyce, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) revealing Will’s secret to Dustin and Lucas – makes “Will The Wise” the most satisfying episode of the season to date.

Unfortunately I simply cannot care about the stuff with Nancy and Jonathan and Barb’s mom. The only element of this story line that worked for me was the editing of the sequence in the park, which effectively highlighted Nancy and Jonathan‘s paranoia. The suggestion that these high school students could pull off a covert sting operation against the Hawkins Lab guys is a bit of a laugh, but we’ll see where it goes.

Odds and Ends:

Eleven‘s investigation into her history hits the jackpot when she discovers Hawkins Lab boxes hidden under the floor of Hopper‘s cabin. From there she’s able to connect with her very-much-alive mom, who identifies Eleven as “Jane” before disappearing in a literal puff of smoke.

I’m definitely losing interest in Billy and Max‘s storyline. Is there anything more to this than the fact that he’s racist?

RIP Mews. It always sucks when animals are killed on TV and that poor dead kitty didn’t deserve to be D’Art’s snack. 🙁

Will’s illness is finally address in 2×05 “Dig Dug”

Episode 5 – “Dig Dug”

This is essentially a “choose your own adventure” episode. Most of the characters venture off on their own: Hopper spends the episode foolishly investigating the tunnel system without back-up; Joyce, Mike, Will and Bob decode Will‘s drawings; Lucas catches Max up to speed, and Nancy and Jonathan and Eleven go on separate road trips.

I definitely appreciated the grotty visuals of what Hopper encounters in the tunnels (the blast to the face by a not-at-all-anus-like vine is particularly visceral and icky). Meanwhile Bob earns his high school “Brain” nickname when he deduces that the drawings are a map of Hawkins, though admittedly, hadn’t we all figured this out well in advance? It seems pretty obvious.

The two mythologies finally collide when Will‘s map leads to Hopper, whose survival ironically depends on his smoking habit. Luckily Joyce, Bob and the Hawkins Lab army show up just in time, ending the episode on another cliffhanger when it is revealed (unsurprisingly) that Will‘s physical health is connected to the tunnel vines and he winds up in Grand Mal territory.

Odds and Ends:

I’m glad that Dustin is no longer acting stupid about how dangerous D’Art is. It was evident from the start that the unknown creature was dangerous and “Dig Dug” confirms that as D’Art grows, he becomes more of an (unnatural) threat.

Let’s take a moment to recognize the comedic genius of Lucas‘ sister Erica (Priah Ferguson), who is officially the Dustin of this season. She’s equal parts annoying and hilarious. I love her.

Finally, Eleven‘s storyline continues to (annoyingly) exist completely outside of the main narrative. This episode she meets her Aunt Becky (Amy Seimetz), a Clea DuVall-esque woman looking after her mother. What follows is essentially a redo of Season One: Eleven‘s mom communicates via flickering lights and there’s a whole extended flashback that’s basically the Stranger Things version of Hodor’s “Hold The Door” backstory from Game of Thrones.

Check back tomorrow for recaps of the final four episodes of season two. In the interim, leave your impressions below in the comments!