Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Summer 2024 Edition)
November 23, 2024
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 through September 2024, and is a bit late due to an uptick in things outside of the site that have needed my attention.
Movies
IF (2024) – PG
This is a lovely story about imaginary friends. It doesn’t make a lot of sense at first, but once it started to gel it went from whimsical to adorable. It’s definitely more for kids, especially for those making the transition into their teenage years, but it did warm this kid-at-heart’s heart.
Freaky Friday (2018) – TV-G [Disney+]
I adore the 1976 and 2003 versions of this film. I didn’t see the 1995 version (though I think it is on Disney+). This version was painful. There was no magic and the humor fell flat. It’s apparently based on the stage musical version of this franchise, but they didn’t even fully commit like the 2024 version of Mean Girls. I recommend a hard pass on this.
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) – R
The task was to incorporate the Fox X-Men universe into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The result was hilarious and touching, bouncing across the history of Marvel-branded movies to lay the groundwork for future integration of Deadpool and the Fox films. It also wraps up the Deadpool trilogy and provides Hugh Jackman with a wonderful Wolverine encore after Logan.
I do hope Jackman passes the torch at this point. There are plenty of options to reboot the character, including Dafne Keen’s X-23.
Mother of the Bride (2024) – TV-PG [Netflix]
This one was a pretty much bog standard romantic comedy. It’s chock full of stars, including Wilson Cruz from Star Trek: Discovery. Sadly, the movie itself doesn’t go anywhere innovative.
A Family Affair (2024) – PG-13 [Netflix]
In contrast to Mother of the Bride, this romantic comedy does interesting things with interesting stars, including Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King, and Kathy Bates. I was impressed with the exploration of a relationship between an older woman and a younger man that didn’t dip into mockery or excessive “cougar” jokes. It’s a decent use of two hours.
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One (2024) – PG-13
This is a really good adaptation of the 1985/1986 DC Comics epic with an all-star cast. The updates here and there make sense, and I’m glad that they’re taking the time to do it well. I will eventually continue the trilogy now that Part Three is available on Max.
Wish (2023) – PG
On the one hand, I quite enjoyed this centennial anniversary celebration of Walt Disney Pictures. It was fun to spot the nods, references, and tropes from the studio’s history and to see how far they’ve come. On the other hand, this one was short and to the point, cutting through a lot of the fairy tale to tell an efficient story. While I would normally love a streamlined story, the trimming removes a lot of the magic in the process. It was still fun and empowering, but not my favorite.
Inside Out 2 (2024) – PG
I didn’t think there was much more distance to cover after 2015’s Inside Out, but this sequel proved me wrong as it continued Riley’s story into puberty. The expansion of emotions beyond the core from a decade ago was handled well, as was the expansion of the brain’s architecture. I especially loved how our core emotions had the chance to grow and learn even though they were the very foundation of both films’ stories.
Television
Star Wars: The Acolyte – Season 1 [Disney+]
Overall, this series a B- grade. On the plus side, I love the exploration of the Force and the groups who use it. The Jedi in the twilight of the Old Republic offer a fascinating look into their corruption and decline, especially as they become more servants of the Senate than of the Force. I also really enjoyed the focus on the dark side and the Sith, and the ties to The Phantom Menace and the prequel era. The choreography was a huge plus, including martial arts and wire work added to combat in a way that makes sense for powerful Force users.
On the downside, I want to see more. The series was poorly paced with mostly short episodes that ended in unnecessary cliffhangers. It was also predictable with minor exceptions. Character motivations were often muddled and unexplained, and I would have loved more time to get invested in those characters.
I would have stuck to hour-long episodes that split between the modern day and the flashbacks. This would still allow for the Rashomon-inspired perspectives while giving us more time with the Jedi while the Osha/Mae story unraveled. It could have also provided more of the Coruscant story between the Jedi and the Senate, along with Vernestra Rwoh’s connection to the villain.
One of the biggest sins in the Disney-era of Star Wars is the assumption that everyone tuning in understands the minutiae of the franchise’s universe. The sequel trilogy left dangling questions that were picked up in novels and comics that general audiences weren’t going to read. The Disney+ productions assume that viewers know the history when they don’t. General audiences don’t do homework to watch a show or movie. It’s important to make someone who doesn’t know the franchise get invested in the characters and story. The Acolyte‘s structure and story did nothing to make general audiences care.
The show won’t get a second season. That said, I’m eager to see more from this era with these characters, but I hope the creative team takes time to polish the production a bit more.
What has spun out of this production is a look at the toxic side of Star Wars fandom. Review bombing on audience-driven rating sites was evident – the audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes plummeted to 14% well before the first episode even premiered, and each episode was hit with 1-star ratings on IMDb several hours before debut – and the detractors chalked it up to “honest opinions.” There is neither honesty nor integrity in that claim.
Additionally, that same fandom is dead set on bullying people who liked the show, claiming that positive opinions and reviews are paid for by Disney or lodged by bots. That doesn’t even count the passive-aggressive behavior coupled with a misguided belief that if they spread enough negativity it will somehow restore the Star Wars of the 1980s-1990s. The mere possibility that someone could like or enjoy the show is unimaginable among the anti-Disney crowd.
It reminds me of the prequel era when original trilogy fans did the same thing. I lived through that era, and I know that fandom’s claims that the prequels were universally loved is a bald-faced lie. So many geeks grew up being bullied, yet here we are with geeks on the other side of the bludgeon.
The show wasn’t great, but these toxic fans are reprehensible and out of touch.
Star Trek: Prodigy – Season 2 [Netflix]
Star Trek: Prodigy remains one of the best Star Trek series. This season wrapped up the story while serving as a sequel to Star Trek: Voyager and Wesley Crusher’s story. It was a treat for long-time Trek fans and still remains an excellent entry point for kids.
Resident Alien – Season 3 [Netflix]
Season Three of this show was a step up from the last one, focusing on the plot threads set up in Season Two. The show still wears a bit from time to time, but characters are acting smarter this time around. I’m also intrigued enough by the cliffhanger ending to jump back in when this show comes back, though Season Four will be on the USA Network instead of Syfy.
The Boys – Season 4 [Netflix]
The Boys remains a bit of a chore based on the somewhat dour storylines. The benefit to Season Four was the political intrigue, focusing more on a clear dramatic storyline rather than assholes being assholes. I appreciated the clear and cutting real-world satire, making certain “anti-woke” crusaders in our country consider if they’re the bad guys for cheering for Homelander’s crusade.
The ending was anti-climactic. I really wish that this show’s “heroes” could actually get a happy ending.
House of the Dragon – Season 2 [Netflix]
The highlight of this season was the queens. The conflict between Rhaenyra and Alicent as they discover just how alike they are amongst all the turmoil was fascinating, and watching them come together to explore it was great. Aside from the kids, who I would love to see thrown into a sun, the downside was losing Matt Smith’s Daemon character in a bloody haunted castle for nearly the entire season. It was a waste of his talent. Worse, it was outright boring.
Give me a season of Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke negotiating through their conflicts and ditch the rest of it.
My Adventures with Superman – Seasons 1 & 2 [Netflix]
This show is wholesome and pure. It captures the spirit of Superman and meshes it with anime stylings, but instead of dumbing it down, the show remains smart and witty. We burned through the available episodes and were left longing for more.
Also, considering The Boys, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and My Adventures with Superman, is there anything Jack Quaid can’t do these days?
The Quiz with Balls – Season 1 [Netflix]
It’s a game show that could have been complete train wreck orbiting a testicle joke, but it actually turned out to be an engaging trivia show. Jay Pharoah’s hosting style could use some improvements, and hopefully he gets the chance to grow in future seasons. It’s not the best game show ever, but it’s entertaining enough.
Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy [Netflix]
The LEGO Star Wars entries are usually a fun mix of satire and elements of the galaxy far, far away, but Rebuild the Galaxy went beyond the usual. This entry included an engaging story geared toward children with enough lore-based twists (like Darth Jar Jar!) to keep the rest of us tuned in. It was fun to watch, and I hope the format sticks for more long form stories.
Books
Star Trek: Prey – The Hall of Heroes – John Jackson Miller
Star Trek: Prey – Hell’s Heart – John Jackson Miller
Star Trek: Prey – The Jackal’s Trick – John Jackson Miller
This Klingon-centered trilogy was fascinating for a couple of reasons. First, it explored the fates of Klingons who were dishonored and ejected from civilization. This opened several doors to explore what happens beyond the screen for those who aren’t part of Star Trek‘s monolithic societies. Second, it played with the consequences of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and the antagonist Kruge. I mean, sure, it was all a scam in the end, but the trilogy speaks about hope and what it means to those who have none by no fault of their own.
It’s a highly recommended read for me.
Star Trek: Coda – Moments Asunder – Dayton Ward
Star Trek: Coda – The Ashes of Tomorrow – James Swallow
Star Trek: Coda – Oblivion’s Gate – David Mack
Given the opportunity to give the Star Trek literature universe a cohesive ending in light of Star Trek: Picard, the combined efforts of (not a law firm) Ward, Swallow, and Mack avoided the big red Star Wars reset button with a solid farewell. This trilogy is touching and brutal, pulling absolutely zero punches as it takes a truly Star Trek approach of boldly going toward a fitting denouement.
Yeah, I liked it. A lot. But I can see why it sent fans into mourning for the decades of investment into these characters. It was very well done.
From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi – Edited by Elizabeth Schaefer
Following the From a Certain Point of View anthologies for A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, this entry continues the tradition of excellence. The book collects short stories from tangential characters in the movie and tells the film’s story from their point of view. I especially loved what Adam Lance Garcia did with Dexter Jettster, tying the prequel and original trilogy films together quite nicely.
Star Trek: Enterprise Logs – Edited by Carol Greenburg
Speaking of anthologies, I finally picked up this nearly 25 year-old Star Trek compilation. It tells stories from various ships named Enterprise. My favorite of the set was “Shakedown” by Peter David, which features Captain John Harriman of the Enterprise-B.
Star Trek – Alan Dean Foster
Star Trek Into Darkness – Alan Dean Foster
The final set of books for this quarter were two film novelizations that I hadn’t read. Alan Dean Foster’s work is exemplary as always, and I appreciate the depth his prose adds to Star Trek (2009). Unfortunately, even he can’t save the mess that was Into Darkness. It was hard to get through that novelization because I just don’t like the film.
Unfortunately, this also reminds me that Star Trek Beyond never got a novelization, making it the first Trek film with that distinction. I would have loved to read that one since I consider the third Kelvin film to be the most Trek out of the set.
Stage
Funny Girl – Broadway in Atlanta
I loved this presentation. I hadn’t seen it before and haven’t seen the film version, so this was all new territory for me. The story was captivating and Katerina McCrimmon was amazing as Fanny Brice. Sometimes I’d close my eyes and could swear she was channeling Streisand.
Games
None this quarter.
Next quarter, hopefully I’m closer to on time with the summary. The Thanksgiving holiday is a great time to catch up on movies, and most of the television lineup is back after a summer hiatus. Some of the titles so far include Music by John Williams, Agatha All Along, The Diplomat, and Superman Smashes the Klan. I’m also expecting to cover Star Trek: Lower Decks, Shrinking, and What If…?. I might also finish Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom if I have time.
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.
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