Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Summer and Autumn 2025 Edition)
January 5, 2026
Narrative Diversions is a look at the various pop culture things I’ve been watching, reading, and playing over the last few months. This edition covers July 2025 through December 2025.
Since this edition is behind due to my work schedule, most of the descriptions will be shorter.
Movies
Superman (2025) – PG-13
I loved this new interpretation of Superman, and this was one of two summer films I made a point to see in theaters. We didn’t get the origin story again, which is good because it saved some screentime for the rest of this iteration’s introduction. I like how the world is used to superheroes – metahumans, in this universe – and has its own proto-Justice League. I also like that Lois Lane is intelligent and knows who Clark Kent is while the story also nods to special eyeglasses that hide Clark’s alter-ego. This version is a bright spot of counterprogramming to the decade of desaturated moodiness started by Zack Snyder, and I especially liked the addition of Krypto’s chaos.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) – PG-13
The second of two summer films I made a point to see in theaters, this finally hit the spots for me that previous versions of the Fantastic Four did not. This team feels like a family and the film emphasizes a sense of scientific exploration and wonder. There wasn’t a dull moment in this film for me and I’m eager to see how Marvel’s First Family integrates with the rest of the MCU.
Lilo & Stitch (2025) – PG
This is effectively a rehash of the 2002 animated hit, but that’s okay with me since this version has its own wonderful chemistry and vibe. I like how they revised the ending to utilize more of Lilo’s chosen family while allowing Nani to follow her dreams. Nothing will replace the original Lilo & Stitch, but this reinterpretation is a good companion piece.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025) – PG
This was a great finale for a family story that has run for 15 years. It perfectly sets the stage for everyone to continue on after the final curtain, and no one is lacking for resolution. This goodbye almost makes me want to watch the whole story all over again.
Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) – PG-13
This seventh installment in the 30-year-old franchise is fun for what it is, but we need to be clear: The first one remains the best with all of its wonder and awe mixed with the running and screaming. The rest are just ridiculous monster movies. Especially this one.
Rebirth does a decent job of dealing with the narrative hole left by Fallen Kingdom and Dominion introducing dinosaurs to the rest of the world, but I can’t help being sad about extinction being an inevitability. In that regard, Rebirth wins by inspiring empathy for a batch of computer-generated monsters. (Yes, I said monsters, since the majority of what we saw in this film were hybrids made by genetic engineers who pretended to be scientists. Perhaps the next Jurassic Park/World can get back to using real dinos instead of InGen’s bastardized creature features.)
A Minecraft Movie (2025) – PG
Back in the early 2010s, Minecraft crossed my radar and I bought the Beta version with the understanding that I would retain access in perpetuity. Over the years I have invested countless hours in what is basically digital LEGOs, riding the wave of updates while building worlds on my own and on shared servers. Because of that, I was intrigued by a feature film adaptation of the game.
This movie was okay at the start, but I felt continual disappointment as it spiraled over its 100-minute runtime. The anchors dragging it down were the combined over-the-top scenery-chewing performances from Jack Black and Jason Momoa. Having one of these actors would have probably been fine, but their combined energy overwhelmed the exploration of the world and the wonder the fish-out-of-water “normies” should have had. Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen, and Danielle Brooks were lost in the tidal wave created by Black and Momoa trying to one-up each other.
All of that said, it is apparent that I am not the target audience for this movie. It seems to have worked well for that audience since a sequel is slated for July 2027.
The Christmas Contract (2018) – TV-PG
While this is a clichéd holiday movie, the story and the cast made it fun. The chemistry kept the energy high and the love story was believable without becoming too saccharine. It’s definitely a good start to the holiday season.
The Painter (2024) – R
It’s a by-the-numbers action flick, but what sets this one apart is how it feels like a feature-length pilot movie for a failed ’80s/’90s television series. It’s just run of the mill and nothing special, and follows the trend of secret agents hiding in single word occupations like The Accountant and The Beekeeper.
Red One (2024) – PG-13
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, and JK Simmons (as Santa!), this one’s an action flick that has fun with winter holiday mythology. It’s touching and heartwarming in all the right places for the Christmas season and had us laughing a few times throughout.
Merv (2025) – PG [Amazon]
This one has Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox, and an adorable dog. Sadly, none of it really gels over the hour and forty-five minute runtime. It becomes a paint-by-the-numbers rom-com with a few too many rejections the later half leading to a happy ending that feels like it only happened because the script ran out of pages. It needed more dog and less formula.
Karate Kid: Legends (2025) – PG-13
The sixth Karate Kid flick has heart but it gets lost in a story muddled with out of place (and tonally inconsistent) graphic overlays and a huge lack of character development. It tries to be too flashy and could have spent much more time making the audience care more about the players. The choreography is amazing and has Jackie Chan’s fingerprints all over it. I’m also enjoying this Ralph Macchio rebirth era, though neither him nor Chan were used enough.
Bugonia (2025) – R
We didn’t finish this one. We gave it about 20 minutes and gave up. In that time, Emma Stone’s character was hardly introduced while the script pounded us over the head with the two brothers who were Fox News/Alex Jones conspiracy theory testicle tanning supplement pounding caricatures. It was enough to turn it off.
Last Chance for Christmas (2015) – PG
At ninety minutes, this sappy TV movie ran 30 minutes too long. It passed the time, but I spent most of it surfing my phone while my wife snuggled up and fell asleep. There are better sappy Christmas movies in the world.
The Substance (2024) – R
Two-thirds of this movie was a great Twilight Zone-style satire of Hollywood’s aging and beauty problems. Most of the elements were pushing this toward a top-tier award-winning takedown of the industry, including having Demi Moore – a sexagenarian actress herself – in a starring role next to Margaret Qualley. The film was written and directed by a woman and deliberately shot in the male gaze, spending a lot of screen time exploitatively focused on Moore’s and Qualley’s bodies, both naked and clothed. The satire side of this body horror film nailed it until the last half-hour.
The problem is when the movie didn’t know when to end. The titular Substance creates a younger clone of the recipient and requires the two bodies to switch consciousness every seven days. In a major miss, the clones don’t share a mind or experiences, so the point of the younger one thriving in the spotlight doesn’t really do anything for the older one, thus rejecting the overall premise. The catch is how the clone has to extract a stabilizer from the original in order to survive, and overextraction causes the original host to rapidly age. There comes a point where the original confronts the clone and the clone begins to fall apart. The Twilight Zone inspiration would have ended this film with the clone collapsing into a pile of good and fading away, much like many stars in Hollywood. Instead, it went on a B-movie monster tangent that wasted all of the film’s good will to that point.
Watch the first 90 minutes or so with its brilliant satire mixed with crazy body horror, then make believe the movie ends there.
Nobody (2021) – R
Nobody 2 (2025) – R
I’m lumping both of these together since we watched them back-to-back on New Years Eve. They follow the typical retired-badass-gets-called-back-to-service trope, though this pair melds a ton of humor with the over-the-top outrageous action. They’re both easily rewatchable, especially for Christopher Lloyd.
Television
Family Law – Season 4 [CW]
This show continues to entertain as it balances good character drama and timely stories about family legal cases. That’s where this show’s strength lies in what would otherwise be a standard legal procedural show. Quite honestly, the finale is a great place to leave the show should it not return for the fifth season.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 3 [Paramount+]
I really enjoy this show, but Season 3 felt rushed and incomplete in too many places, particularly with the episode “What is Starfleet?”, which left a lot of potential on the table. Aside from that, the season arc and the Captain Batel’s story were good in my opinion.
Where Strange New Worlds could improve (but won’t given how the fourth and fifth seasons are complete, including the series finale) is by investing in longer and more frequent seasons. The characters in most of this era of Star Trek could use more room to breathe and develop, and these 10-episode seasons make me long for the 24-episode seasons of the 1990s. Combine longer seasons with innovative storytelling and this team could really win me over.
Wednesday – Season 2 [Netflix]
My track record with Tim Burton’s work is spotty, but this show continues to win me over. Season Two improves upon Season One while building on the themes and tensions. It is very entertaining, and I’m looking forward to Season Three in 2027.
2027!? I really need this industry to move faster.
Upload – Season 4 [Amazon]
This final season of Upload exposed the cracks that developed over time as the writers seemingly lost track of the plot. It got more zany and wacky, leaving the metaphors running beneath muddy and confusing. The ending was touchy and emotional, but totally unnecessary in the end. The epilogue offers some balm for the burn, but it is ultimately too little.
Aside from the writing issues, this show suffered from irregular season lengths and releases. The first season premiered in 2020 with ten episodes. The second season was in 2022 but only ran for seven episodes. The third season was eight episodes split over two release windows in 2023 with a change to sequential episode releases instead of the established burst style. The final season was a paltry four episodes this year.
This show deserved much better.
The Buccaneers – Season 2 [Apple TV]
Speaking of shows that deserve better, the second outing for this show was a mess. So much of the season hinged on the main character trying to resolve the quandary from last season, and instead of embracing open communication, the season ends with characters nuke everything.
I wonder how many of these narrative choices are driven by how the source material is an unfinished novel, but it’s a similar situation to The Minecraft Movie: The show is getting a third season. I don’t know if I’ll be willing to tune in for it, though.
School Spirits – Seasons 1 and 2 [Paramount+]
This show came recommended by friends after they watched it and those friends were right. This supernatural mystery was a fun rollercoaster ride. Peyton List performs better here than in Cobra Kai, and it’s a tribute to the working material. That story plays well with high school tropes and a murder mystery that throws a natural twist to keep the show moving. I’m looking forward to the third season when it eventually premieres.
Murderbot – Season 1 [Apple TV]
A friend of mine recommended this one well before a track director at Dragon Con asked if I’d seen it. When she asked, it got bumped up in my queue, and it was well worth the watch. I don’t want to say too much here, but the second season is pretty much an immediate watch when it comes.
Airwolf – Season 4 (1987)
When Airwolf ended in 1986, the studio tried to get enough episodes for syndication by firing the cast and moving production to Canada. The fourth season was written in advance and left no room for character development. Money was saved by using stock footage and clips from the previous 55 episodes as well as selling the helicopter and using a mock-up for close-ups. In comparison to the original three seasons, Season Four is an insult. On its own, the season is inoffensive and sterile. It has some chemistry, but otherwise served as life support until the series had enough cachet to reach syndication.
Only invest 24 hours into it if you’re interested in historical television oddities. Otherwise, you’re not missing a thing.
Ironheart – Season 1 [Disney+]
I enjoyed this season (miniseries?) that followed up on the armored heroes in the MCU. I was especially impressed with the discussions of PTSD and trauma, as well as the fact that the lead was more of a grey character than an outright hero. I want to see more of RiRi in future Marvel work.
Outlander: Blood of my Blood – Season 1 [Starz]
This was a good prequel for the original Outlander show, and I’m ready for the next season of it and the parent show, especially considering how they’re obviously tying them together as the legacy continues. The big drawback was how rape and assault figured so much into this season, and hopefully they dial it down as the show progresses.
Books
Star Trek: Resistance – J. M. Dillard
On the plus side, this novel kicked off the Next Generation series of novels after the dismal Star Trek: Nemesis. On the down side, it wasn’t energetic and relied on yet another appearance by the Borg. It’s not one I plan to revisit.
Star Trek: Picard – Firewall – David Mack
In comparison, this novel detailing Seven’s story between the end of Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard was a delight. David Mack captured her character and the conflict as she attempted to grow beyond the shadow of Kathryn Janeway and Voyager‘s legacy. It’s a very good tale of self-growth and identity. Highly recommended.
Star Trek: Shadows of the Sith – Adam Christopher
Nestled in the era between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, this fun adventure sheds light on Rey’s origins and the events of Rise of Skywalker. It’s a neat cat-and-mouse chase and it became hard to put down as Lando and Luke team up to figure out a mystery.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – Tom King, Bilquis Evely
When the Supergirl follow-up to Superman was announced, I decided to pick this one up since it is apparently the inspiration for the upcoming film. I really like how modern interpretations of Supergirl have differentiated her from her cousin by looking at her guilt and trauma from Krypton’s destruction. I also like that this story is told by a third-person narrator who helped push Supergirl through the story. Speaking from experience, sometimes working through trauma means getting a push from someone else. I will admit, however, that I looked up the ending while I was reading it because I really needed to know if the dog survived.
Supergirl (2005-2011)
Volume 1: The Girl of Steel – Jeph Loeb, Joe Kelly, Ian Churchill, Norm Rapmund
Volume 2: Breaking the Chain – Joe Kelly, Ian Churchill, Alé Garza, Norm Rapmund
Volume 3: Ghosts of Krypton – Kelley Puckett, Drew Johnson, Ron Randall
Volume 4: Daughter of New Krypton – Sterling Gates, Jamal Igle, Keith Champagne, Jon Sibal
Volume 5: The Hunt for Reactron – Sterling Gates, Greg Rucka, Jamal Igle
Supergirl (New 52: 2011-2015)
Volume 1: Last Daughter of Krypton – Michael Green, Mike Johnson, Mahmud Asrar
Volume 2: Girl in the World – Michael Green, Mike Johnson, Mahmud Asrar
Volume 3: Sanctuary – Mike Johnson, Mahmud Asrar
Volume 4: Out of the Past – Michael Alan Nelson, Scott Lobdell, Diogenes Neves, Mike Hawthorne
Volume 5: Red Daughter of Krypton – Tony Bedard, Yildiray Cinar, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy
Volume 6: Crucible – K. Perkins, Mike Johnson, Tony Bedard, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy
Supergirl (Rebirth: 2016-2020)
Volume 1: Reign of the Cyborg Supermen – Steve Orlando, Brian Ching, Emanuela Lupacchino
Volume 2: Escape from the Phantom Zone – Steve Orlando, Brian Ching, Matias Bergara
Volume 3: Girl of No Tomorrow – Steve Orlando, Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques, Steve Pugh
Volume 1: The Killers of Krypton – Marc Andreyko, Kevin Maguire
Volume 2: Sins of the Circle – Marc Andreyko, Kevin Maguire, Eduardo Pansica
Volume 3: Infectious – Jody Houser, Marc Andreyko, Robert Venditti, Rachael Stott, Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira, Laura Braga
Volume 4: Plain Sight – Steve Orlando, Jody Houser, Vita Ayala, Robson Rocha, Daniel Henriques
After reading Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, I found myself down a rabbit hole of the titles Kindle Unlimited has to offer. I have bundled them all together for ease of discussion, especially since these runs make it clear that writers often have no idea what to do with Supergirl. Her adventures take her all over the place, trying on new identities and situations like a clothing store fitting room with the hope that at least one of them will fit right.
I think of all these titles, the New 52 fit well with Woman of Tomorrow‘s intro to her PTSD, but it still wandered a lot. I really resonated with the Red Lantern storyline, though. The Rebirth line was much more fun to read, including the Batgirl stories and tying Kara back into her high school identity, but I’d leave the Infectious thread on the side of the road.
One of the problems with these collections is trying to follow crossover events. Those often pick up in the middle of an event without context or after the event is over without the background to understand what happened.
One of the other problems I had was costumes, which was plainly evident in the 2005-2011 run. In these collections, Supergirl is a teenager. She left Krypton before Kal-El, but ended up in a bit of time dilation so she arrived on Earth decades after her cousin. Where Superman is roughly in his thirties, Supergirl is still an adolescent.
The creators behind the 2005-2011 run put that teenage girl in very suggestive and provocative costumes and poses, favoring long-sleeved bralette tops and super short skirts that left little to the imagination. The look improved slightly when they gave her shorts under her skirt, but it still came across as fantasy fulfillment.
The New 52 improved a bit, favoring full torso coverage with a bikini bottom. Thankfully, that evolved into full leg coverings as well. The Rebirth era got back to skirts as it tried to echo the concurrently-airing Supergirl TV show.
I’m not a puritan or a prude. I’m fully aware of the sexually-provocative history of comic book heroine costumes, including the Power Girl boob window which was justified by the character stating – I’m paraphrasing – “I wear it because I can.” But those other characters have been defined or portrayed as adults. Again, the Supergirl in these runs is a teenager, and I have a problem with sexually exploiting teenagers.
I’m also more used to the television and film versions of Supergirl, which are usually more tastefully costumed. From Helen Slater’s version in the skirt (which is echoed by Milly Alcock’s portrayal) and the animated crop top iteration to Laura Vandervoort and Melissa Benoist’s portrayals that mixed and matched from skirts, jackets, and pants, all of them have been tasteful.
Anyway, enough about that.
Regarding the books, they were an enjoyable read but an overall mixed bag. The character and her associated titles would be better served with a cohesive vision and tone.
Wonder Woman (1987-1992)
Volume 1 – George Pérez, Len Wein, Bruce Patterson
Volume 2 – George Pérez, Len Wein, Bob McLeod
Volume 3 – George Pérez, Chris Marrinan, Will Blyberg
Volume 4 – George Pérez, Mindy Newell, Chris Marrinan
Volume 5 – George Pérez, Mindy Newell, Jill Thompson
Volume 6 – George Pérez, Jill Thompson, Cynthia Martin, Romeo Tanghal
Wonder Woman (Rebirth: 2016-2018)
Volume 1: The Lies – Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, Laura Martin
Volume 2: Year One – Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Volume 3: The Truth – Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, Laura Martin
Volume 4: Godwatch – Greg Rucka, Bilquis Evely, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Volume 5: Heart of the Amazon – Shea Fontana, Mirka Andolfo, David Messina
Volume 6: Children of the Gods – James Robinson, Carlo Pagulayan, Sergio Davila, Emanuela Lupacchino
Volume 7: Amazons Attacked – James Robinson, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Volume 8: Dark Gods – James Robinson, Stephen Segovia, Jesus Merino
The Supergirl rabbit hole led me to a Wonder Woman rabbit hole, and this one was enjoyable all around. The George Pérez run was wonderful, obviously inspired by the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series and focused on the character’s core of love and justice. I have wanted to read that run since I saw Pérez speak at Dragon Con, and I’m glad I finally took the plunge.
The Rebirth line was also great even though it was darker. It’s obviously inspired by the Gal Gadot version from the Synderverse, which was a highlight of that darker DC interpretation (Wonder Woman 1984 excluded, because yikes!). In particular, the throughline of The Lies, Year One, and The Truth was a fascinating way to introduce this character.
He Who Fights with Monsters: Book One – Shirtaloon (Travis Deverell)
He Who Fights with Monsters: Book Two – Shirtaloon (Travis Deverell)
Speaking of rabbit holes…
Some time ago, Brice and Eric mentioned this LitRPG story they were reading on Royal Road. It’s about a man from our world who wakes up naked, in the middle of a hedge maze, in what is effectively a sword-and-sorcery RPG video game. The author has plans for something like sixteen books and twelve of them are completed and on Kindle Unlimited. He apparently started writing them because his doctoral thesis was boring.
The books are fun even though the main character is vastly over-powered. The conflict there comes when he has to function as part of a team to grow. The stories flow like a long-running comic book title because of the serial fiction nature, though the books themselves are pretty well edited. The author had to take a break due to serious health issues, but he’s planning to jump back in as soon as he can.
Stage
Back to the Future: The Musical – Broadway in Atlanta
Kimberly Akimbo – Broadway in Atlanta
The Outsiders – Broadway in Atlanta
We took in three shows as our Broadway in Atlanta series started again. I liked Kimberly Akimbo and The Outsiders more than Back to the Future, though all of them have been entertaining and fun. The Outsiders is based on the 1983 film, which was in turn based on the 1967 novel. Kimberly Akimbo is a bit more original and much more touching, though every character is written with dubious motivations.
The rest of our season includes Hell’s Kitchen, The Sound of Music, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Monty Python’s Spamalot. I’m looking forward to it.
Games
None. I haven’t had a lot of spare time for video games lately. Related to that, though, my brother Nick is streaming periodically on Twitch if you want to take a look. He’s just starting out with game streaming and has been playing WWE 2K25 and RoboCop: Rogue City.
You can find him on Twitch as OldNick999.
Next Time
I’m going to try being more timely with these in 2026. Best of intentions and all. Until then, stay safe and warm. See you all again soon.
Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.
Narrative Diversions sources poster art from various places, including The Movie Database (TMDB), Memory Alpha, Memory Beta, TARDIS Wiki, and publisher, distributor, and reseller websites. TMDB’s contents are available with a non-exclusive license for personal and non-commercial use. Fandom wiki materials are available with a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported).
Many thanks to the fans who create and share their passion for entertainment and storytelling.
For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.
Creative Criticality 