#finn and noah really knocked it out of the park <3

[mlchaelwheeler]

Love confessions and framing

I know the monologue has been discussed so much since V2 came out, but I just wanted to bring attention to the specific framing used during that scene vs. the shed scene from S2.

Typically, during a romantic moment in a tv series (especially a confession of love), the camera keeps tight shots on the two characters of interest. This is to create the sense that it's only the two of them in that moment, as well as to create a sense of intimacy and mutual understanding between the two. Why is this important? Because the monologue is not framed in this way, which is very strange if this is supposed to be the "ultimate mi|even moment." What is framed in this way however? You guessed it-- the shed scene.

It's important to note that during the monologue, Mike has to be pushed by Will to even tell El he loves her. She's clearly struggling in the mindscape, but Mike just sits there until Will tells him he's the heart (which are really Will's feelings, which Mike responds to). Once Mike starts talking though, you'd expect the camera to zoom in on his and El's faces, as a way to focus all attention on them-- as it is supposed to be their big moment. Yet what happens? Will is in nearly every shot of Mike, clearly in the background. This is for a multitude of reasons: he urged Mike to confess, he's actually the one with those feelings for Mike, he's the one Mike is really in love with, etc. Mike is literally piggybacking off of Will's feelings for him, thinking those are El's feelings. Honestly, when El hears Mike confessing his love for her, she doesn't even look that happy (most likely because she heard that he couldn't say it without urging from Will).

Notice how Will is right behind Mike, very clearly in the shot? This was a clear editing choice to show Will is very much a part of what's going on here. This moment isn't just about Mike and El. Will is there too, in Mike's shot, taking away the big romantic aspect of this scene. It's no longer a romantic confession-- instead, it's a spewing of feelings based on misunderstanding. Will's feelings are still in the back of Mike's head, as shown by Will being directly behind Mike in the shot.

Furthermore, throughout the monologue, scenes cut from Mike and El to include Will and Jonathan, further taking away from the intimate aspect of the moment. They're all concerned about El (platonically), and this is why shots of both Byers are included, showing that the moment isn't a romantic one. It's about family.

Now let's compare this to the shed scene. Similarly to the monologue, Mike tries to talk to Will who is under Vecna's control-- he doesn't even know if Will can hear him. This is the exact same situation as what's happening with El in S4.

Yet instead of being nearly forced into trying to reach El, Mike is the one who takes it upon himself to reach Will. He steps forward into the light of his own accord. He doesn't have to be urged by Joyce or Jonathan to do so. The camera shot immediately cuts to a tight shot of Mike's face, only focusing on him and Will during his entire monologue. There's no cutting back and and forth to show the others in the shed. This scene is about Mike and Will only. It's a romantic moment-- for that scene, they are essentially the only ones in the room. Also, Mike is full of emotion (unlike the S4 monologue): he is crying, there's no background music to draw focus to their voices, and Mike and Will keep direct eye contact with each other the entire time.

The rest of the characters literally disappear for this entire monologue. This is an intimate romantic moment between Mike and Will. They're not interrupted, and the focus is entirely on them, even though Will's mom and brother are mere inches away from Mike. They're not important in this scene. In fact, the next time we see them is when Joyce breaks the moment, asking if Will is still there (Mike is still clearly distraught in the background).

Tl;dr: close shots of the two characters of interest during a love confession is a way to clearly portray romance and intimacy, which is shown during the shed scene between Mike and Will in S2. This framing doesn't do this during Mike's "romantic" monologue to El in S4, illustrating that it's a moment more about family love than it is about romance.

[jonathan-mcgregory]

I believe in you

Day 3 - Klaine Valentine’s Challenge 2018

Author: Porcelain and Leather

Rated: T

AO3

Kurt flinched as the cold hand touched his cheek. “I have to go.” He grabbed his bag and ran out of the room, down the hall and out the building. He stopped outside and leaned back against the wall, with tears in his eyes. He had never felt this close to anyone before, but he had only met Blaine, a few hours ago. He pulled his phone out and dial the number as fast as his shaking fingers could manage. “Hey, sweetheart. Yes, I miss you.” Kurt chewed his lip smiling. “Yeah, can you meet me at the Lima bean?” He closed his eyes and sighed. “I’ll be there in two hours.” He closed the phone and hurried to his truck, heading for Lima.

Kurt pulled into the Lima Bean parking lot, an hour and a half later. He took a deep breath and got out of his truck. It was now well, past dusk and he would not be making it back before curfew. He walked into the coffee house and walked to the back room. He sat at his usual table and smiled at the teen sitting across from him. “Hey.”

Puck looked up from his coffee and smiled at him. “Hey, babe. How’s the new school?”

“Alright?” Kurt shrugged, accepting his usual coffee as the barista sat it in front of him. “Everyone there has been great. yeah, great.” He blushed as his mind traveled back to Blaine.

Puck scowled a bit. “You don’t sound great. Is someone being an ass? I thought there was a zero tolerance bully policy.” He looked angry and ready to defend Kurt.

Kurt reached out and took his hand. Puck relaxed immediately“No baby. They really are great. It’s only been two days. I just need to adjust.” He sighed. “Hey, I auditioned for their glee club.”

Puck smiled at him and brought Kurt’s knuckles to his lips. “I’m betting you blew them away.” He sighed caressing his hand. “Then what’s wrong?”

Kurt shrugged. “I was thinking about you and I missed you.” He blushed and took his hand back. He felt a little guilty about getting so close to Blaine. “I wanted to see you.”

Puck shook his head. “You would have seen me this weekend, when you came home.” He sipped his coffee and raised a brow at him. “From what Finn said, they have a pretty strict curfew, at that fancy school, You wouldn’t risk getting in trouble, unless it were important.”

Kurt cursed at how observant his boyfriends could be. “I don’t know what ot say.”

“You could start by telling me the truth.” Puck shrugged. He had a bad feeling in his stomach.

Kurt looked down at his drink worryingly. “I… I met someone and he invited me to see a movie.”

Puck nodded and chewed his lip. “Like a date?”

Kurt shook his head furiously. “No, babe. It was just as friends. He invited a couple other guys too but they couldn’t make it.”

Puck chuckled. “Okay. So you watched a movie, with another guy? That’s not a crime, babe.”

Kurt nodded, tears filling his eyes. “I guess. It’s just that… I swear… I don’t know why I feel so guilty.”

Puck reached over to wipe the tears off his cheeks. “Kurt. You know, you’re allowed to be attracted to other people.” He looked away and shook his head. He did not want to hear Kurt admit it, but he knew it was coming. “What happened?”

Kurt chewed his lip and whispered. “We were singing and I think he was going to kiss me.”

Puck gulped and nodded. “Did you want him to?”

Kurt nodded feeling ashamed. He hated that he had wanted Blaine to kiss him.

Puck sighed and shook his head. “You know what, we’re in high school. Fuck it.” He put money down for their drinks and got up to go.

Kurt was terrified that he had screwed everything up. He jumped up and grabbed Puck’s hand. “Noah, please listen to me. I don’t want to kiss him, okay. I love you.”

Puck ran a hand over his face and shook his head. “I need to think.” He turned back to Kurt and kissed him softly. “You didn’t kiss him but you thought about it. You must felt guilty enough to risk suspension. You’ve been gone two days, Kurt. Does our relationship mean that little?”

“No, I screwed up.” Kurt shook his head and closed his eyes.  “You know I’d never do anything to hurt you.”

“But you did.” Puck took his hand back and sighed. “You said it wasn’t a date. That you saw the movie as friends.”

Kurt nodded. “Yes. We watched Robin Hood.”

Puck raised a brow at him. “And you almost kissed him.”

Kurt gulped, nodding slowly.

Puck nodded. “How, the hell, do you almost kiss someone watching Robin Hood?”

Kurt chuckled. “He started singing and I started and we got really close. He looked into my eyes and touched my cheek,” Kurt ran his hands over Puck’s cheek, causing the other teen to close his eyes. “But his hand was so cold. It kind of shocked me out of the trance.”

Puck opened his eyes and laughed. “His hands were cold? That’s the reason, you did not kiss?”

Kurt smiled. “Yeah, And I love you, idiot. ”

Puck thought for a moment and kissed him. “Come home, with me. Mom is working.”

Kurt agreed and squeezed his hand. “It’s not like I’ll get back into the dorms, anyway. I’ll follow you.”

-------------------------------------------------

Blaine sighed as he laid in bed. He heard someone knocking a few minutes later. “Come in.” He groaned.

Wes walked in and sat on the end of the bed. “Sebastian got on the plane alright. He said he’d call, once he gets to Voltura.” He tapped Blaine’s leg. “What’s got you all moody. You’re projecting all over the place.”

Blaine sat up and glared at his friend, and mentor. “Wes, You’ve been alive for what now, 400 or so years?” He really respected Wes, and he hoped he could shed some light on his feelings.”

Wes nodded and smiled at him. “Yeah, so? You’re 203 years old. What is your point?” He worried a bit at Blaine. He knew that the boy was suffering and he hated to see any of his boys in pain. “What is going on.”

Blaine growled and got up. He paced across the room for a few minutes before he started explaining. “It’s Kurt. Sebastian left because he said he could not handle how good he smelt. And I… yeah he smells good, but I’m not interested in his blood. He’s beautiful, Wes. I find that I just want to be around him. Why? What is the power he has over me, and Sebastian.”

Wes nodded as he listened to Blaine. The young one, was still adjusting to, what they liked to refer to as, their vegetarian lifestyle. “I wish you and Sebastian would have discussed this with me before he took off for Italy.” He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. “I believe that Kurt is Sebastian’s singer. That means that his blood is special. Sebastian will never not want to drink him, It’s in his nature.”

Blaine growled, looking “What?” He would kill anyone who tried to harm Kurt.

Wes held up his hands in surrender. “”That does not mean he will. Sebastian is strong. He has lived this life longer than most.” He took a calming breath and placed his hand on Blaine’s shoulder. “But Kurt is your mate. It would hurt all of us, if anything happened to him.”

Blaine felt Wes’s clam wash over him and he let himself float back to normal. “My mate?”

Wes nodded. “We are family, Blaine and we take care of our own. If he truly is your mate, Sebastian and I would never hurt him.”

Blaine nodded in understanding. “But, then why did he run away when I touched him. He felt so scared and guilty.”

Wes shook his head feeling sorry. “You’ll have to ask him. I may be wise, but I don’t know.”

Blaine nodded. “I guess we should do our homework.” He groaned. He really hated high school.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Kurt walked into the cafeteria and sat across from Nick. He wasn’t really hungry and really hoped that he could go back to his room to lay down for a while.

Jeff looked up from his tray and frowned. “You look terrible. Did you get any sleep?”

Kurt nodded and rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, but not enough. I had to drive back from Lima, this morning, and I had to leave super early.”

Jeff laughed softly. “What were you doing in Lima?”

Nick frowned at him and looked back at Kurt. He could tell their new friend needed to talk. “When we left you were going to watch the movie with Blaine.”

Kurt shrugged. “The movie was fine but I needed to visit my boyfriend. I missed him.” He blushed thinking about what he and Puck had done ,last night.

Jeff giggled. “Oh someone got lucky.”

Kurt looked up at him, gaping. “Wh...what, no, Well, almost. We haven’t really gone all the way yet.” He took a deep breath. “Guys, do you think that someone can be attracted to two people at once?”

Jeff nodded eating his cereal. “Yeah, being attracted to someone doesn’t mean you are going to ever do anything about it.”

Nick shrugged. “I agree. Why do you ask?”

Kurt rubbed his eyes and yawned. “I love Noah, but I know I felt something for Blaine, as well.”

Nick frowned. “You haven’t known him, but a day. Did he do something to you last night?”

Kurt gave him a shocked looked and shook his head. “No, he was a complete gentleman, but I could have sworn he wanted to kiss me.”

Jeff laughed. “Well, you are kind of beautiful. He’d be crazy not to.”

“But I wanted to kiss him to. It makes me a bad person, doesn’t it?”

Nick shook his head. “We’re in High School Kurt. It’s natural to want to kiss him.”

Kurt gazeed at the table thinking. “That is what Noah said right after I caught him making out with Santana.” He let out another Yawn. “I just met Blaine. I shouldn’t want to kiss him.” His stare turned to the door as BLaine walked into the cafeteria.

Blaine walked over, nervously, with his hands in his pockets. “Um, Hi, Kurt.” He had never been this nervous before. “Can we talk privately?”

Kurt stood up and led Blaine to another table. “Yeah. I should apologize about running out on you, yesterday.”

Blaine shook his head. “No, You are fine. It’s I who should apologize. I was too forward. You did not give your consent for me to touch you.”

Kurt frowned at that, confused. “You touched my cheek? It’s not exactly an insult.”

Blaine nodded and shrugged. “Never-the-less, i should have asked.” He sighed. “I just hope I did not do anything that made you uncomfortable. That was not my attention.”

Kurt smiled at him. He was quite adorable when he was nervous. Kurt shook his head. He should not be thinking like this. “It’s fine. I should have told you, this before. That I had a boyfriend, I mean.” He froze and looked up, to see anger on Blaine’s face. He felt anger welling up inside himself as well. “What? Do you think I am so repugnant that no one would want to date me?”

Blaine felt his anger melt away. What exactly was he angry about. It’s not like he was surprised that Kurt was already dating someone. Anyone would have to be daft not to find the man beautiful. “No, god, I’m sorry. Of course you have a boyfriend. He’s very lucky.” He gulped and got up. “I should go.” He hurried out of the building and headed for the choir room.

Kurt watched him go and looked over at Jeff and Nick, whom were staring at him. “Um, I’ll see you guys later.” He got up and ran to his dorm. He needed to get some sleep and try to figure this out later.

------------------------------------------------------

After his last class, Wes walked to the choir room, to set up for rehearsal. He stopped outside the room to listen to the music. Someone was inside playing the piano. He heard Blaine singing and smiled as he pushed the door open, walking in. “I’m guessing you skipped all your classes today?”

Blaine stopped playing as soon as he saw Wes enter the room. “I needed to think.” He started picking the sheet music up to put it away. “Kurt has a boyfriend.”

Wes understood why he could feel the depression rolling off Blaine. He nodded and shrugged. “I guess that explains the guilt, and maybe the terror.”

Blaine looked over at Wes. He really hated how calm his adopted father could be. “I can’t control my gift around him. I made him angry.”

Wes was a little surprised. “You have never had trouble controlling that, not as long as you’ve been with Sebastian and I.”

Blaine nodded as he began playing another song, from memory. “Do you see my delima?” He took a deep breath as he began to sing. It was everything he wished he could tell Kurt, but knew that he never could. Wes just sat and listened, Letting Blaine get all the wild emotions out.

“Time goes by

And I’ve been holding everything inside

But now I’ve got nothing left to hide

When I’m with you, oh, you

But I can see

How strong a man I’m gonna have to be

To do for you what comes so naturally

It’s in the way you move

And all I want

Is a chance to prove

Show all I can do

I believe in starting over

I can see that your heart is true

I believe in good things coming back to you

You’re the light that lifts me higher

So bright, you guide me through

I believe in you

And I don’t mind

If you want to hold onto me tight

You don’t have to sleep alone tonight

If you don’t want to

And all I want

Is to know you’re near

You’re all I need here

I believe in starting over

I can see that your heart is true

I believe in good things coming back to you

You’re the light that lifts me higher

So bright, you guide me through

I believe in you

Kurt walked into the music. Wes motioned for him to keep quiet. He got up and silently made his way out of the room.

I know that there are times

When you feel worthless

Like all the love you get

You don’t deserve it

Sometimes I feel my faith is just a burden

On you, you, you

I believe in starting over

I can see your heart is true

I believe in love

You give me reason to

You’re the light that lifts me higher

So high up in the sky

I, I think we’re gonna fly

I believe in starting over

I can see that your heart is true

I believe in love

You give me reason to

You’re the light that lifts me higher

So bright, you guide me through

I believe in you

I believe in you

I believe in you

Whoa!

You guide me through

I believe in you.”

“That was beautiful.” Kurt smiled and shocked Blaine, as he finished the song.

“Thank you.” Blaine gulped, not looking over at the teen. “I’ve been thinking about it, for sectionals.” He lied.

Kurt ventured over and sat next to him on the piano bench. “It’s a beautiful song, and heartwarming video.” He closed the lid over the keys. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, at breakfast.”

Blaine raised his eyes to look at him. “I deserved it. I had no right to be angry. I just…. When you sang yesterday. You moved me. I had never felt so close to anyone. It was kind of a little upsetting that you’re already taken.”

Kurt tilted his head as he listened to him. “It’s alright. Noah and I had not been together long, but I do care about him.” he sighed. “He broke up with me this morning, before I left his house.” He looked down at the floor. “He said he did not think it’s a good idea to try the long distance thing.” He made little quotes with his fingers.

Blaine tried not to laugh but managed a snicker. “I’m sorry, but he’s a fool.”

Kurt shrugged. “Yeah, but he was my fool. I like you too, Blaine, but I just met you. Give me a little time to adjust to Dalton. Then maybe in a couple weeks, we’ll see about a date.”

Blaine knew it would be hard but he understood. “Let me know, and I’ll take you on a date, you’ll never forget.”

Kurt giggled and nodded. “Deal.” He smiled and went to take his seat, as the other Warblers began making their way into the choir room

[biofunmy]

All the streaming services, ranked

CLOSE

If you’re struggling with which streaming service suits your needs, here are the pros and cons of the biggest brands. USA TODAY

Welcome to the era of the Streaming Wars. 

Hollywood is getting more crowded than ever as two new online streaming services, Apple TV+ and Disney+, join the digital fight for your eyeballs and money in November. And there’s still more to come: Next spring, WarnerMedia’s HBO Max and Comcast’s Peacock join the mix.  

With Netflix, Hulu and Amazon already dominating the streaming world, and smaller players like CBS All Access, Shudder and Acorn TV fighting for their place in the mix, the new TV landscape can be a daunting avalanche of choices, and subscribing to every new service can easily end up costing more than that cable bill you already cut. 

But not all streaming services are created equal. Before you subscribe to the latest, consider our list of the major services, ranked from best to worst. We’ve included only services not available as a cable channel (sorry, HBO Now), and those streaming in 2019 (we’ll get back to HBO Max and Peacock later). 

The Handmaid’s Tale was Hulu’s first breakout hit. (Photo: Hulu)

1. Hulu 

Cost: $5.99/month with ads; $11.99/month commercial-free

Originals: A mix of award-winning high profile dramas (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Act”), tiny, quirky and acclaimed comedies (“PEN15,” “Shrill”) and occasional theatrical or streaming-only films (“Little Monsters,” “Fyre Fraud”). 

Library: Includes currently airing TV shows on ABC, NBC and Fox (“The Masked Singer,” “Stumptown”) paired with archival series (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Designing Women,” “Seinfeld”) and films (“Boyz n the Hood”).

Kid-friendly? A robust kids’ section has mostly older shows (“Sailor Moon,” “Doug”) but a few originals like “The Bravest Knight.” 

Hulu tops our list because it’s a broadly appealing service that offers plenty of genres and styles without scraping the bottom of the barrel for new content. The ability to watch current broadcast shows in-season is a huge advantage. And Hulu has the best selection of archival TV series with a solid showing of films, too. Its originals could be better, but the service has wisely chosen not to overload us with shoddy new programming, a mistake its biggest competitor, Netflix, has unfortunately made. Hulu’s value is likely to grow in the next few years, now that Disney effectively owns the service. Adult Marvel content will likely gravitate here, along with a trove of FX series. 

Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and Caleb McLaughlin in Stranger Things 3 . (Photo: Netflix.)

2. Netflix

Cost: $8.99/month to watch on one screen at once, $12.99/month to watch on two screens or $15.99/month to watch on four screens in Ultra HD.

Originals: Has the largest crop of originals, which means the biggest mix in quality as well. Notables include “Stranger Things,” “Queer Eye” and “The Crown,” in addition to Oscar-bait movies like Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.”

Library: Shrinking every year. Although some stalwarts remain on the service (“Breaking Bad,” “Dexter,” “Supernatural”), Netflix is investing in originals, not in holding onto the rights for legacy series and films. (“Friends,” “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” are among those shifting elsewhere by 2021 for U.S. subscribers). 

Kid-friendly? Netflix’s kids’ section is massive, populated mostly with dozens of originals (A “Boss Baby” series, an upcoming “Green Eggs and Ham” adaptation) and some library content (“Pokemon”).

Netflix may be synonymous with the idea of streaming content, but while it pioneered the format, it hasn’t perfected it. The service has a huge number of films and TV shows to choose from, but that library isn’t as good as it once was. Netflix’s biggest flaw is that it is abandoning its archival content in favor of an ever-more-mediocre slate of originals across all genres of TV and film. Some of these series are brilliant (“The Crown,” “BoJack Horseman”), others are decent (“Queer Eye”), but most are poor facsimiles of better TV (“Ozark,” “Fuller House”). The movies that premiere on the service without a theatrical run (and thus, aren’t vying for Oscars) have a distinct “TV movie” vibe. Still, Netflix is a really valuable service and the biggest name in the game, only slightly edged out by Hulu. 

Pedro Pascal stars as the title character in the new Disney+ series, “The Mandalorian.” (Photo: Francois Duhamel, Lucasfilm Ltd.)

3. Disney+

Cost: $6.99/month or $69.99/year (available Nov. 12) 

Originals: The first Star Wars live-action series (“The Mandalorian”), teen comedy “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” “Toy Story” spinoff “Forky Asks a Question” and a slew of nonfiction series. More Star Wars and Marvel series are promised over the next few years. 

Library: The Disney Vault has opened, and classics (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”) and duds (“The Shaggy D.A.”) alike will flood the service, along with recent blockbusters (“Avengers: Endgame”) from the studio. Some titles inherited from the merger with 20th Century Fox (“The Simpsons”) also are available. 

Kid-friendly? Extremely. All content on the service is family friendly to some degree, to fit with the Disney brand. 

The biggest threat to existing services comes from the biggest conglomerate in Hollywood. Disney is flexing its considerable muscle by offering its classic films paired with original series from its biggest brands: Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel. Its huge library is its biggest advantage, as is the ability to reboot and revive (“Lizzie McGuire,” here we come). But the biggest disadvantage is the lack of diversity in programming. Everything here will be very Disney in tone and style, and the service has no plans for mature programming and mindless reality TV, which has its time and place. If you have kids, the value of the service goes up exponentially, but for those of us not trying to entertain tykes, other streamers have more to choose from. 

Phoebe Waller-Bridge takes a smoking break as the titular character in Amazon’s “Fleabag.” (Photo: STEVE SCHOFIELD/AMAZON)

4. Amazon Prime Video

Cost: $12.99/month, but comes with free two-day shipping

Originals: “Jack Ryan,” “Bosch,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and lots of small, awards-friendly fare, a lineup that’s changing rapidly as the company embraces genre shows like an upcoming “Lord of the Rings” series. 

Library: A wide assortment that most notably includes Masterpiece  dramas(“Downton Abbey”), mid-2000s procedurals (“The Closer,” “Bones”), USA Network shows (“Mr. Robot,” “Suits”) and some older HBO programming. 

Kid-friendly? Yes, Amazon includes originals like “Kung Fu Panda” and Nickelodeon series like “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Dora the Explorer.”

Amazon’s TV output is perfectly acceptable, especially if you like quaint British television and series your grandparents will enjoy. The streamer excels at comedies  (Emmy-winning “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Fleabag”) and has an impressive selection of British TV  (“Doctor Who,” “Broadchurch”). Its library of old series and originals is not as big as Hulu and Netflix, but it does have Oscar-nominated films (“The Big Sick” and “Manchester by the Sea”) acquired from festivals. Your money goes further, because it pays for two-day shipping with TV as a bonus, but it still offers a higher proportion of niche programming than its rivals. Unlike Netflix or Hulu, it can’t replace your cable subscription all on its own, but its lineup will expand to include a fashion series from Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum and an expensive “Rings” adaptation. 

Sonequa Martin-Green returns as Michael Burnham for a third season of “Star Trek: Discovery.” (Photo: JOHN MEDLAND/CBS)

5. CBS All Access

Cost: $5.99/month with commercials, $9.99/month without

Originals: “Star Trek: Discovery,” “The Good Fight,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Why Women Kill”

Library: Current (and recent) CBS series, classics (“I Love Lucy”) and movies (“Rocky”).

Kid-friendly? Some library content like “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Everybody Hates Chris,” but nothing for preschoolers and no originals. 

Don’t knock the Eye’s streaming service until you’ve tried it. It’s a little on the expensive side for the number of originals, but its streaming shows have a better batting average when it comes to quality (“The Good Fight” is one of the best shows on TV). In addition to CBS shows, its library includes a treasure trove of classic films and TV, such as “Happy Days” and “The Brady Bunch.” However, it’s still limited in scope, so seeing some episodes of “Star Trek: Picard” a few times a year may not be worth the expense. 

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon star in the new Apple TV+ series “The Morning Show.” (Photo: Apple)

6. Apple TV+ 

Cost: $4.99/month; free for one year with purchase of an Apple product (available Nov. 1) 

Originals: “The Morning Show,” “See,” “For All Mankind,” “Dickinson,” “The Elephant Queen,” “Oprah’s Book Club,” and other new shows from M. Night Shyamalan and Steven Spielberg. 

Library: None

Kid friendly? Nope

Despite its low price tag, Apple has a distinct disadvantage in value because it has no back library of classic shows or films. You could burn through their entire new catalog in a few weeks. And you wouldn’t get much from binge-watching the new series, which include “The Morning Show,” a mediocre soap starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. The best of the bunch is alternate history drama “For All Mankind,” from the creator of “Battlestar Galactica,” but is it worth the money to see just one maybe-good show? Probably not.

Three decades after “The Karate Kid,” Johnny (left, William Zabka) and Daniel (Ralph Macchio) face off again in “Cobra Kai.” (Photo: YOUTUBE RED)

Honorable mentions: AcornTV, Britbox, Shudder, YouTube and Facebook Watch

A few other, much smaller streaming services are vying for your wallet. AcornTV and BritBox are for serious Anglophiles (Acorn has more mysteries, Britbox has all of classic “Doctor Who”). Shudder is devoted to horror. Facebook Watch and YouTube are a mix of user-created and professional content. Facebook Watch has one good original series (“Sorry for Your Loss” starring Elisabeth Olsen); so does YouTube (“Karate Kid” sequel “Cobra Kai”). Facebook Watch is free if you have time for it, and YouTube also has a free tier, with ads.

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And oh my god, at first I thought this show was just overhyped and not really that god, but hehe, I was very wrong. Stranger Things is one of the best things I have ever seen. Not only the best TV show, but one of the best forms of entertainment I have ever seen.I am a big Spielberg and Stephen King fan. Spielberg has directed many of my favorite movies, and King has written my favorite horror novel of all time (IT), and this series is what I always imagined a collaboration between Spielberg and King will be like. It has the charm, the wonder, the mystery of Spielberg and the amazing characterization of King.Now what do I like about Stranger Things? Pretty much everything except for a minor issues.Firstly, the writing. Oh my god. I am a big dialogue/script guy. I want me some good dialogues and screenplay in a movie/tv show to make me love it. And this TV series doesn't leave any character behind. Not only does each character gets a great arc, but many characters subvert cliches with the choices they make. Chief Jim Hopper was my fucking favorite. He was so badass, so charming, so likable, and he had the best arc of all of them. When he was pressing Will's chest in Episode 8 while having flashbacks to his daughter's death, I was tearing up. That's how much I cared for him. His is a role that Harrison Ford definitely would have played in the 80s. Jonathan was my second favorite, a very close second. He is easily the most relatable to me, and Charlie Heaton is fantastic, although I didn't like the creeper angle they gave him in Ep 2 and 3. Took away the relatability.Winona Ryder is fantastic as Joyce Byers, although her character always began to cry in between random moments while talking to people. At first it was ok, but later it became kinda tiring. Natalia Dyer is gorgeous, man. Oh, and yeah Nancy is good too. Cara Buono surprisingly looks hot as Karen Wheeler. Just sayin'. She was great. Matthew Modine is a total bastard, and I loved him, although his character felt a little too Keys from E.T. at times. Ted Wheeler was fucking hilarious. One of my favorite parts from the show. Now Steve. His is a character I hated at first, cause he broke Jonathan's camera, for good reason, but still. But the way TDB (The Duffer Brothers) changed his arc was amazing. Definitely one of the best arcs I have witnessed in a while. Benny, oh Benny. I miss that guy. Chris Sullivan was fantastic in what he was given. Justice for Benny, guys. Justice for Benny. Barb, was fine. Sure what happened to her was wrong, but she is way too overhyped.Now we move to the kids. Oh boy this might be long. THESE KIDS MAKE THE DAMN SHOW! They were SO good! Dustin was my favorite! He was so damn funny. He was the Richie Tozier of this show basically. Mike was like the leader character and Finn Wolfhard knocks it out of the park. Will, while didn't appear in many scenes, was still great in what he was. Noah Schnapp will prove himself in Season 2 and I can't wait. Lucas, although my least favorite of the bunch, was still great. And ELEVEN! Damn MILLIE BOBBY BROWN IS A FANTASTIC ACTRESS!!! SHE WAS SOOOOO GOOD! SHE ACTS FROM HER EYES, SHE IS SO GOOOOD!!! I CAN'T COMPLIMENT HER ENOUGH.My main complaint with the show can be summed up in one sentence: some forced 80s references in Ep 1 and some plot conveniences feel more like a rip off than a homage.But overall, Stranger Things gets an absolute 10/10 from me. Can't wait for S2 to arrive. via /r/StrangerThings