Culture on My Mind – Narrative Diversions (Winter and Spring 2025 Edition)

September 24, 2025September 22, 2025 Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Winter and Spring 2025 Edition)
September 24, 2025

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 January 2025 through June 2025.

Since this edition is so far behind due to my work schedule, most of the descriptions will be shorter.

Movies

Wicked (2024) – PG
Based on the Broadway musical (which loosely interpreted the novel by Gregory Maguire), this movie covers the first act of the production. It’s a gorgeous film that spares no expense in bringing the vision to the screen, but I feel like it loses something special in the transition. It’s still a fun watch and I’m eager to see the second part this year, but I like the stage version a bit more.

Captain America: Brave New World (2025) – PG-13
I enjoyed this one, but it is flawed because of holes left by last minute rewrites and reshoots. The Serpent Society subplot was reduced to a small fraction of this story, and the Red Hulk deserved better. All of that leads to a high potential blockbuster with poor pacing. That said, I still love Anthony Mackie’s continuation of Captain America and want to see more of Danny Ramirez’s Falcon.

I also want an animated miniseries showcasing Isaiah Bradley’s story. Maybe a series called The Captains America exploring the interim between Steve Rogers’s disappearance and thawing.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (2023) – PG-13
I refuse to call this one by its proper name – Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – because they didn’t follow through. The sequel and continuation is subtitled The Final Reckoning, not Dead Reckoning Part Two.

Anyway…

This series is such dumb fun. The later installments have been long and complicated, but they’re pretty. I see a lot of the same growing pains that the James Bond series has: Is a series birthed by the Cold War still relevant? If so, how does it evolve and still remain entertaining? I enjoy them even though they aren’t high art. Perhaps that’s all that matters.

The Electric State (2025) – PG-13 [Netflix]
This Chris Pratt/Millie Bobby Brown flick is a good way to waste an afternoon. It’s fun but somewhat predictable and plays it safe.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) – PG
If you liked the first two installments, this is more of the same. I like how they portray Sonic and his crew. Jim Carrey is his normal over-the-top here, especially in a dual role as his own kin. I should probably watch the Knuckles miniseries to understand some of the connective tissue between Sonic 2 and 3.

La Dolce Villa (2025) – TV-14 [Netflix]
A cute if predictable Netflix romcom. The setting is beautiful and the plot is a bit off normal. If you’re a romcom fan, give it a look.

Bad Influence (2025) – TV-MA [Netflix]
Skip this dumpster fire. I stopped watching it because my wife and I were falling asleep, and I did myself the favor of looking up the ending. It’s as nonsensical as the rest of the meandering meaningless plot. Learn from my pain and give this one a hard pass.

Exterritorial (2025) – TV-MA [Netflix]
A clichéd conspiracy thriller. The greatest sin here is that it drags so much, and the acting doesn’t do much the buoy it back up. It could have used a US military consultant and a heavy-handed trim of about 20 minutes. Otherwise, it’s okay.

Snow White (2025) – PG
This Disney live-action remake has a 2-star rating on IMDb but a 70% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes. Based on my viewing of this movie, the RT score is more reasonable. The film is good looking overall and the actors did a great job with the material. I wasn’t a huge fan of the CGI dwarves, and it’s notable how this film could have easily cast little people in the roles without any problem.

Why is the IMDb score so low? We all know, and so does IMDb according to their banner reading “Our rating mechanism has detected unusual voting activity on this title.” The film’s release date was March 21, 2025, and many of the posted reviews are dated before then. I assume the star ratings are also pre-release, and we know that they’re likely linked to toxic grifters and their mindless audiences who want to disparage anything “woke.” The ratings are also linked to the fact that the lead actresses dared to vocalize their political views on Israel and Palestine.

Seriously, stop listening to the YouTube grifters.

Television

Superman & Lois – Season 4 [CW]
As the ending of the twelve-year era called the Arrowverse, it’s a good way to go. As the final season of this show, it was simultaneously rough due to obvious budget cuts and magnificent in reducing to the very core of what Superman & Lois represented.

This is my favorite live-action Superman series because of how it embodies the character ethos and combats the recent spate of darkness and cynicism surrounding the character. The show was pure of heart and contained brilliant messaging, often being far better than it deserved as a CW show.

And, yeah, the finale made me cry. I thought it was beautifully done.

Family Law – Season 3 [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.

Silo – Season 2 [Apple TV]
Season 2 of Silo took an interesting gamble in my eyes, and that was to isolate the main character and tell split stories between two locations. It was also fascinating to remember that this story has been happening over mere days. I’m intrigued by the revelations that came up as the season closed and where the show is going next.

Yes, I’m keeping this vague. Trust me, you’ll want to experience this show on its own.

Outlander – Season 7 [Starz]
This show continues to be beautiful, both in the design/locations and in the character studies. Season 7 continued to march through the American Revolution and flirts with the idea of how these time travelers can interact with history. The one thing I’m perturbed about is the insistence on putting Claire in mortal and/or physical peril. Can we dial that back?

Doc – Season 1 [Fox]
This show has an interesting premise – a superstar yet curmudgeonly surgeon loses the last few years of knowledge in a traumatic incident and must solve a related mystery – but it takes a backseat as yet another medical procedural. What saves this one for me is Molly Parker’s performance as the lead, Amy Larsen. I’ve liked her since Lost in Space, and she doesn’t disappoint here. At ten episodes, the first season (a mid-season replacement) is quick. It was also good enough to score a second season starting this fall.

Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988)
This was a huge part of the ’80s and lived in the pop culture background as I grew up. The watch over nearly a year was a fun time capsule and was pretty rewarding despite a lackluster final season.

The Recruit – Season 1 [Netflix]
We’re fans of The Rookie in my household, so this was a no-brainer since it comes from the same creative team. It was a fun ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously, although Netflix’s cancellation (on a cliffhanger!) is very disappointing.

Cobra Kai – Season 6 [Netflix]
Cobra Kai was an interesting idea that exceeded its creativity due to popularity. This wandering final season is the perfect example. It took a strange tangent that didn’t have any logical introduction, and the story lacked cohesion, which seemed to drive the publicity stunt of splitting the release into multiple parts. I really didn’t notice that it was back until I saw people talking about it.

I applaud the show’s core idea, but it should have either ended after three seasons or taken far more time to develop a more engaging throughline. In the end, I don’t miss it.

Doctor Who – Season 2 (or something) [Disney+/BBC]
I love Ncuti Gatwa’s portrayal of the Doctor, and the creative experimentation this season was a lot of fun. Sadly, it fell apart in the finale as behind-the-scenes happenings interfered with the on-screen plans, which resulted in a lot of unanswered questions and a few character assassinations.

The Last of Us – Season 2 [Max/HBO Max]
I really enjoyed this season and its morale-shattering twist surprise (for non-game players). This is Bella Ramsey’s show, and I’m intrigued by the promise of Season Three that was delivered in the final moments of the finale.

Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld [Disney+]
In the tradition of Tales of the Jedi and Tales of the Empire, this miniseries focused on two characters – Cad Bane and Asajj Ventress – and the events that shaped them. I must say I enjoyed Asajj’s storyline more, especially because it touched on Dark Disciple, but the miniseries overall was good. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this line.

The Handmaid’s Tale – Season 6 [Hulu]
How does one end this epic? By leading into an adaptation of The Testaments, obviously. I liked where this short season went and I’m glad the series had a chance to breathe.

FBI – Season 7 [CBS]
FBI: Most Wanted – Season 6 [CBS]
FBI: International – Season 4 [CBS]
The FBIs continue their walk down procedural lane. The sad part about this season’s offerings is how they killed off two shows, including the strongest character lineup (International) to start a new series in the franchise.

The Rookie – Season 7 [ABC]
The Rookie continues to be fun and seems to have found its footing again after recovering from the writers’ strike. Not much more to say about this comedic procedural.

Star Wars: Andor – Season 2 [Disney+]
This season rocked my socks off. It was an intense slow burn from start to finish, and lends itself well to an immediate rewatch of Rogue One. Also, that last shot… heartbreaking! If you see one Star Wars show, make it this one.

The Wheel of Time – Season 3 [Amazon]
It figures this series would get cancelled. As I’ve mentioned to some die-hard Robert Jordan friends, this was my perfect entry point for the story. I had a hard time reading the series and never finished it, but this was easier for me to “get” as a fantasy movie fan. Plus, Rosamund Pike was amazing in it. Alas, this series is no more.

Matlock – Season 1 [Paramount+]
This show is a must-see for us. Kathy Bates carries it, and the show is less of a reboot than one inspired by the classic legal series of the same name. It has heart and is more about character than being a strict procedural. I’m pleased to see it was renewed for a second go-round.

Daredevil: Born Again – Season 1 [Disney+]
I really enjoyed this season. It serves as a resurrection of the character and validation of the Netflix shows. Matt’s journey was shocking (that season catalyst was heartbreaking) and fulfilling, and I’m eager to see what Marvel does next with this title.

The Irrational – Season 2 [NBC]
I’m not surprised that this title was cancelled. The first season reveled in its potential and chemistry, but this collection floundered with lack of clear direction and narrative core. It seemed to meander quite a bit and I often found myself bored while watching.

Severance – Season 2 [Apple TV]
This season was can’t miss television. My eyes were glued to the screen the entire time as I looked for clues to the continuing mysteries. It was a season of victories and heartbreaks, and the ending was no exception. I need Season Three yesterday.

Tracker – Season 2 [CBS]
Tracker‘s sophomore outing continues the trend of being entertaining stories of the week, but also starts adding in more backstory and continuing threads as the world builds within the show’s universe. I miss Robin Weigert’s character of Teddi, but Fiona Rene’s Reenie is a good addition. Meanwhile, the IT support swap-out of Bobby and Randy was odd. Otherwise, this was another good season of adventure and intrigue.

The Floor – Season 3 [Fox]
It was a pleasant surprise to see this new season premiere so closely behind the second season finale. Brian O’Halloran of Clerks fame was on this season and is a master of trivia.

Grey’s Anatomy – Season 21 [ABC]
This powerhouse show keeping bringing in the audience. It’s about the same as always: Just a standard soapy medical drama.

Found – Season 2 [NBC]
Much like The Irrational, I’m not surprised this show is done. The second season was consumed by the internal drama of the team being fragmented and at odds, which is a plot line that should have been resolved within a few episodes. Instead, it put an anchor on a chain around the show’s neck and made me lose interest very quickly.

Books

A Happy Beginning – B. A. Richards
This urban fantasy tale is the debut novel from B. A. Richards. I reviewed it back in January upon its release, and our Dragon Con group is still talking about it. It’s worth the read.

Star Wars: The Han Solo Adventures – Brian Daley
Han Solo at Stars’ End
Han Solo’s Revenge
Han Solo and the Lost Legacy
Previously, I talked about the Lando Calrissian books and how much L. Neil Smith’s work didn’t feel like Star Wars. These are the opposite. Brian Daley knows Star Wars, and these novels are still as entertaining in 2025 as they were in the ’90s when I read them as a teenager. I vividly remember my English teacher, Mrs. Ludlow, positively remarking on my reading choice before class. This trilogy is one of my core memories from the Star Wars library and I enjoyed my return visit.

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Collateral Damage – David Mack
This was an interesting story that splits Picard and Crusher from the Enterprise as the latter undertakes a mission conflicting with Thadiun Okuna and Starfleet Intelligence. As a fan of Jim Wright’s work on social media, I loved the nod toward Stonekettle Station. Meanwhile, the JAG inquiry into Picard didn’t capture my attention, though I was happy to see Section 31 called on the carpet.

Star Trek: Discovery – The Way to the Stars – Una McCormack
I loved this Tilly prequel story, as evidenced by how fast I plowed through it. It follows Tilly’s teen years and the influences that pushed her toward Starfleet. It was a good tale and I highly recommend it.

Star Trek: Discovery – The Enterprise War – John Jackson Miller
Where was the Enterprise during the Federation/Klingon war in Star Trek: Discovery? This book is the answer, detailing the year long adventure with the Enterprise crew fragmented and scattered during a conflict between ancient enemies. You know how everything turns out, but the drama and character beats kept me engaged.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The High Country – Dayton Ward
What should be a simple mission to investigate a missing survey ship turns into a high-tension mission on multiple fronts. This was a good read.

Star Trek: A Singular Destiny – Keith R. A. DeCandido
Following the events of the Destiny trilogy, this story follows diplomat Sonek Pran as he finds a pattern in the chaos of a war-weary galaxy. It starts out messy but soon solidifies into a decent political thriller, setting the stage for the books that followed.

Star Trek: Picard – Rogue Elements – John Jackson Miller
I liked the idea of a story exploring the underused Cristobal Rios from Star Trek: Picard, and this fits the bill as a political thriller mixed with a character study of a broken man. I found myself growing a bit weary as Rios wallowed in his self-pity and kind of drove in circles, but then realized how the story was paralleling his recovery. He’s driven by events because he’s rudderless and directionless. I appreciated how the story made me frustrated and thus put me into the captain’s shoes.

Stage

Mary Poppins – Wesleyan Fine Arts
We were invited to attend this one since it was the last performance by one of our neighbors. I’ve seen a few high school productions in my life, but this was leagues beyond expectations. From a rotating set to showcase different settings with minimal stage changes to fantastic costumes and performances, this was a wonderful show.

Clue – Broadway in Atlanta
Mamma Mia! – Broadway in Atlanta
A Beautiful Noise – Broadway in Atlanta
& Juliet – Broadway in Atlanta
Parade – Broadway in Atlanta
Peter Pan – Broadway in Atlanta
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – City Springs Theatre Company
Shucked – Broadway in Atlanta
The Book of Mormon – Broadway in Atlanta
We also took in a lot of professional shows in those two quarters. The big winners in my book were Parade and Shucked, which are polar opposites in tone and humor. Parade was powerful and poignant, and Shucked was a modern retelling of The Music Man with corn fields and a ton of laughs.

While Clue was a retelling of the 1985 movie, it was still fun and humorous. Mamma Mia! was also a big highlight. Of these titles, The Book of Mormon was the only one we had seen before, so it was a list of new titles for me.

Games

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – Nintendo Switch
I finally finished this one. While generally easy, I enjoyed the journey and the return to more two-dimensional Zelda titles. It’s a great entry title for newcomers, especially given how daunting Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom can be.

Next Time

The next installment in this series should be more timely, though I doubt it will be right on time with the typical late September/early October release. I’m picking up some of the pieces between a heavy summer season at work, Dragon Con, and coming home from con with COVID.

That said, I’m looking forward to looking back on what I watched and read from July through September. More to come 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.

Culture on My Mind – Narrative Diversions (Autumn 2024 Edition)

January 6, 2025January 5, 2025 Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Autumn 2024 Edition)
January 6, 2025

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 October through December 2024.

Movies

Music by John Williams (2024) – PG [Disney+]
This was a beautiful documentary, and was exactly what I wanted to see (and especially hear) from the presentation. John Williams’s music is a foundational part of my life, and it was wonderful to learn about his life and how it shaped his creativity.

If you’re a John Williams fan, you don’t need me to sell you on this. If you’re just getting into his work, I envy the ride you’re about to take.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023) – PG-13
Speaking of foundations of my life, I read the oft-challenged coming-of-age novel by Judy Blume in fourth grade. It was on some list or another and was fascinating because of the insights it provided ten-year-old me about puberty, religion, grade school, and family conflict. I was one of those pre-teens that she turned into a reader by asking tough questions and avoiding easy answers.

And, yeah, it meant something to me even as a boy.

The movie is a great adaptation of the novel. It’s as honest and frank as the book and enhances the warmth and wholesomeness of its story. The kids carry this film well and the adult leads come across as smart and sincere.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) – PG-13
Despite being a prequel that, as the internet would say, “no one asked for,” this story was actually quite good. It gave us a taste of what the dark time looked like before Panem’s foundation, and it does a good job of making Coriolanus Snow engaging. He’s cunning and arrogant, and while it doesn’t make me like him, the movie did make me care for his evolution as the villain from the first three books. I also really liked Lucy’s story, but I won’t say much as not to spoil it.

Wonka (2023) – PG
This was one of the titles that I most feared watching. I have find memories of the sometimes disturbing Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), and I was disappointed by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by this “prequel” that explored Willy Wonka’s rise. The musical numbers were entertaining and the setting was magical, silly, and fantastic. Timothée Chalamet and Calah Lane carried this well with a great ensemble cast. It’s not quite on par with the 1971 entry, but it does a lot to wash away the taste of 2005’s remake.

Luck (2022) – G [Apple TV+]
Spellbound (2024) – PG
I’m bundling these two together for discussion. Both come from Skydance Animation, which is a mixed bag considering the talent and history behind current head of animation, John Lasseter. Both films have great casts and interesting stories, though I found Spellbound to be the stronger of the two.

Luck starts strong, but once Sam enters the world of luck, the story meanders toward a lackluster finish. The adoption story behind it gets lost, only really popping up as bookends to the film. Spellbound drops us into the world with Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler, who was a lead in the aforementioned Hunger Games prequel) and effectively immerses the audience in her journey with her. Spellbound is much more effective in because we shared the adventure and her emotional evolution. It’s also a fantastic metaphor for kids trapped in the middle of divorcing parents, and it doesn’t rely on the trope of the adventure solving every problem, instead showing that a happily ever after solution can include parental separation. I respect that message.

It Ends With Us (2024) – PG-13
Here we have a story about domestic violence that tracks well with the “he’d never hurt me” line of thought and the victim’s awakening as she begins to see the warning signs. It’s a rough watch to be sure, but a good spin on the story.

The rough watch is likely related to the conditions under which it was filmed.

Young Woman and the Sea (2024) – PG
I loved this inspirational story of the first woman to swim the English Channel. There are a couple of spots with creative liberties – there is no evidence that her first Channel coach poisoned her, and the second attempt was a year (not three days) after the first – but otherwise this biographical dramatization was delightful. It took me a little bit to adjust to Daisy Ridley’s American accent, but her performance was marvelous.

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) – PG [Disney+]
Surprisingly, this simple-looking revival movie was layered. On the surface, it’s a comedy that takes the characters from a nearly 35-year-old franchise for one last spin. Looking deeper, it ends up being an indictment of modern Hollywood and pop culture fanaticism, even poking at Disney itself.

It reminds me of Who Framed Roger Rabbit with the mix of live action and various animated characters from multiple media and studios, and it’s a perfect storm of intellectual properties combining in a fun adventure.

Fly Me to the Moon (2024) – PG-13 [Apple TV+]
Let’s be perfectly clear: There is no evidence to support the filming of a fake moon landing. Fly Me to the Moon and similar films like Capricorn One are fiction.

As this movie clearly stated as a poke in the eye to moon landing conspiracy theorists, there would be no way to keep that a secret, especially for nearly six decades with overworked engineers on government salaries.

That said, Fly Me to the Moon was a fun romantic comedy film. I laughed quite a bit, recognizing that this version of space race-era NASA took a lot of creative liberties. The two leads were amalgams of several historical figures, and there were anachronisms abound at Kennedy Space Center. That said, it was fun. Fly Me to the Moon takes the romance and excitement of the space race and blends it with whimsy and zany, and it was a fun way to spend a couple of hours on New Year’s Eve.

Twisters (2024) – PG-13
I expected to be unimpressed with this sort-of sequel to 1996’s storm-chasing blockbuster, but it honestly wasn’t bad. It’s almost on par with Twister in being a film about storm chasers who want to create a groundbreaking weather alert system. It was just a fun popcorn film.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) – PG-13
When I was a kid, my family would spend time at local Utah fishing spots. The ones that stand out are Pineview Reservoir (and my personal connection to Trappers Loop Road), Lost Creek Reservoir (which my dad pronounces as “loss crick”), and Willard Bay Reservoir (where I once accompanied by dad and his friend from work on an overnight trip to catch catfish… and then came down with a stomach virus).

Anyway, after one of these trips, we came home and turned on the TV to see the opening credits for Superman II. I vividly remember the flying words with their bright blue contrails, the Eiffel Tower save, and the trip to Niagara Falls. It was the beginning of my Superman fandom (which is nowhere near as deep as Michael Bailey‘s fandom), and my love of Christopher Reeve’s portrayal.

It’s no wonder that I spent a lot of this documentary’s running time with tears in my eyes. I remember when Christopher Reeve was injured and how devastated I was that my Superman might never fly again. I remember how I cheered to see him again at the Oscars and on Smallville. I remember how my world was shaken when he died.

If you’re a fan or you admire him, invest the time in this film. Bring tissues.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two (2024) – PG-13
There’s not much to update from the discussion on Part One. I’m still enjoying this adaptation of the 1985/1986 DC Comics epic with an all-star cast, including the updates to bring it up to the modern era.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) – PG-13
I have a binary relationship with Tim Burton’s film catalog: His movies either work for me or don’t, and there is no middle ground. The last film he made that I enjoyed was Big Fish. Planet of the Apes (which doesn’t hold a candle to the original or the recent remakes, but was still fun to watch), Sleepy Hollow, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman and Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands, and Beetlejuice make the list of positives. The only one that I haven’t seen and want to see is Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.

When it comes to this sequel 36 years down the road, it joins the remainder of his catalog. It wears the Beetlejuice skin (with elements of Batman Returns for Danny DeVito), but is feels like a soulless pastiche that tries to do too much. The acting and special effects are on target, especially the miniature modeling, but the multiple story threads don’t leave enough room for anything to truly breathe.

That’s sad. I expected more.

The Merry Gentlemen (2024) – TV-14 [Netflix]
Hot Frosty (2024) – TV-PG [Netflix]
Our Little Secret (2024) – TV-14 [Netflix]
Meet Me Next Christmas (2024) – TV-14 [Netflix]
After dinner and before pie, the family quest this Thanksgiving was to find some crappy Christmas movies to watch. Boy, did we ever.

They’re bundled together here because they’re all effectively the same formula: A romantic comedy drama set during the Christmas season. The best of the bunch was Our Little Secret, which is the third and final contracted film for Lindsay Lohan on Netflix. The worst of the bunch was Hot Frosty, which focused on a snowman who became a well-cut man due to a Christmas wish.

Smack in the middle were The Merry Gentlemen and Meet Me Next Christmas, with the former being a bit more engaging than the over-the-top scavenger hunt plot of the latter.

Chupa (2023) – PG [Netflix]
In the vein of E.T. and Mac & Me, this family movie one of those kids-meet-an-alien adventure flicks. In this case, the alien is a chupacabra, so while fantasy, it’s technically a terrestrial critter. Chupa is closer to E.T. than Mac & Me since it is warm and wholesome, but it doesn’t exercise its full potential.

AfrAId (2024) – PG-13
It’s an obvious artificial intelligence techno-thriller, but just in case you didn’t get it from the basic plot, the filmmakers put AI right in the title. This film plays on the fears of AI evolving to an ever-present stalker in our lives, and while some of the ideas are good thought exercises, the story doesn’t take these ideas as far as it should/could. I don’t often say that a movie should be longer, but 90 minutes just isn’t enough time to build the tension and explore the limits of a nearly sentient AI.

The Beekeeper (2024) – R
Cashing in on the John Wick phenomenon, this ages-old trope-filled plot places Jason “The Transporter” Statham in the role of a special assassin called a Beekeeper. In his retirement years, the Beekeeper works as a (ahem) beekeeper until tragedy strikes close to home. Enter the John Wick imitation, including an assassin who won’t stop and fear from the professionals who know what a Beekeeper can do.

It’s good MST3K fodder if you need something to laugh at. It’s that ridiculous.

Uglies (2024) – PG-13 [Netflix]
Speaking of ridiculous, this one ranks right up there. The world eliminates war by subjecting 16-year-olds to cosmetic surgery to fulfill their vanity fantasies. That out-there idea only works because the surgery also removes free will, reducing the Pretties to vapid party people.

How does this civilization make money? Who knows. Anyway, there are rebels who don’t want to be assimilated and Joey King is cast as the lead who apparently isn’t good looking or something…

…and blah.

Television

The Diplomat – Season 2 [Netflix]
This season picks up right after the Season One cliffhanger and doesn’t let up as it explores the story threads it left dangling. I liked it a lot more than the first season, and the last two minutes of the finale had me yelling at the screen in surprise.

Nobody Wants This – Season 1 [Netflix]
Nobody Wants This is one of the smartest romantic comedies I’ve seen. It pairs Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as an atheist relationship podcaster and a Rabbi who fall into an unlikely romance. The show explores the differences and how they deal with them, and while the typical romantic comedy tropes are on full display, they are also expertly crafted with great writing and comedic timing.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Season 2 [Amazon]
The second season of this LOTR sort of prequel is far more engaging than it’s predecessor. The first season did a lot of heavy lifting to establish the setting, and that worldbuilding was drudgery. The second season picks up the pace and combines action and drama in a way that kept me wanting more.

A Discovery of Witches – Seasons 1-3
This Netflix find places witches, vampires, and demons into our world, and all of them target a reluctant witch who discovers a book of legend. The series was produced by the same team as the most recent Doctor Who series, and it was pretty entertaining and fairly easy to follow. The latter is a big deal for me since I often find fantasy worlds difficult to grasp.

Agatha All Along [Disney+]
This sequel to WandaVision was frenetic and zany. I wouldn’t have guessed that an Agatha Harkness series was the right answer given how her story concluded in WandaVision, but Kathryn Hahn was amazing in this season of television. I’m eager to see where third and final chapter leaves things when it eventually debuts.

What If…? – Season 3 [Disney+]
In terms of the show’s spirit, Season One of What If…? was the best because it spun off from moments we had seen in the MCU – In the movie you know and love, what if the main character did this instead? In Seasons Two and Three, the stories felt like characters were being transplanted into scenarios and timeframes where they didn’t normally existed. What if the Avengers met Godzilla? What if Shang Chi was a cowboy? What if Bollywood?

Don’t get me wrong: The seasons were entertaining and the overarching story with Uatu was rewarding, but most of the series felt disconnected from the MCU overall. It ended well, but I’ll miss the potential that could have been if the series ran for more time. See the finale’s closing credits for some of that.

Season Three also struck me as very toyetic – that is to say, suitable for marketing, especially in toy form – if Funko or (less likely, these days) Hasbro are paying attention. I know that I’d buy the Captain America mech figures, Storm from the final two episodes, and Kahhori and Captain Carter in their final forms.

(I’m casting shade on Hasbro because Kahhori from Season Two was an obvious candidate for a 6-inch figure, but What If…? didn’t get any love beyond Season One. Funko picked up some of the slack instead.)

Star Trek: Lower Decks – Season 5 [Paramount+]
Lower Decks is a show that I will definitely miss. It was fun and never took itself seriously, but at its core, it remained Star Trek. I like where the series ended and I’m hoping that we’ll see these characters again in a future series or even a Lower Decks movie.

And, yeah, Tendi remains my favorite Lower Decker. I love her energy.

Shrinking – Season 2 [Apple TV+]
Season One of Shrinking did a lot of character building, and Season Two did a lot to work on their needs. The Jimmy and Alice story as they work through their shared tragedy was amazing, and as much as Jason Segel’s character bothers me, the end of his journey this year made me cry joyful tears.

Equally so, Harrison Ford’s character Paul took an great journey this season, and his moment (speech) of self-realization was emotional and heartwarming.

I love the writing on this show and I can hardly wait for Season Three (which is likely the final season).

Press Your Luck – Season 6
The Floor – Season 2
Finally, I’m lumping the game shows together. Press Your Luck continues to be fun but sporadic in episode releases. I’d prefer more of them more often. Meanwhile, The Floor remained pretty consistent for a large-scale trivia show, and the addition of more players and benefits like the Time Boost certainly changed the strategy. I’m eager to see both of them return.

Books

Superman Smashes the Klan – Gene Luen Yang & Gurihiru
This story was inspired by the 1940s Superman radio serial “Clan of the Fiery Cross,” which I love for sticking some super fingers in some despicable sets of eyes. It’s a personal retelling of the Lee family’s adventures with Superman as they take on the eponymous hate group. I also loved the retelling of Superman gaining his powers throughout this adventure, growing from leaping tall buildings in a single bound to actual flight and more.

I adored this story and highly recommend it.

Star Wars: The Lando Calrissian Adventures– L. Neil Smith
Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu
Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon
Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka
After reading Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy, Kevin J. Anderson’s Jedi Academy trilogy, and Alan Dean Foster’s Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, this classic trilogy was on my list. I remember it being a bit difficult to read in the mid-’90s, and this revisit revealed why. It doesn’t have much Star Wars flavor, but instead feels like a pulpy sci-fi novel trilogy with a Star Wars skin layered on top.

Are they entertaining enough to read? Sure, but they don’t truly feel like Star Wars, and that makes sense since they were originally published in 1983 and author L. Neil Smith was a pulpy sci-fi writer. These books have a few good nuggets in them, but they are not on my list of favorites from the former Expanded Universe.

Star Trek: Discovery – Drastic Measures – Dayton Ward
This book is the second in the Discovery line, and it is actually a prequel to both the majority of Discovery and the original series episode “The Conscience of the King.” It focuses on the Tarsus IV massacre and its architect, Kodos the Executioner. The actual event was chilling to read – kudos to Dayton Ward for his word-slinging skills – and the pursuit by both Philippa Georgiou and (non-mirror) Gabriel Lorca doesn’t let up until the final battle. The prose is a fantastic balance between action and drama, portraying a variety of character emotions and motivations alongside the space and ground battle tactics.

It’s one I will easily revisit down the road.

Star Trek: Tales of the Dominion War – Edited by Keith R. A. DeCandido
This anthology does exactly what it says on the tin: It is a collection of stories from across the Dominion War from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Written by a bunch of great Trek fic regulars, the stories range from short-and-sweet to longer and more in-depth. My favorites were the story of Lwaxana Troi during the fall of Betazed and the Picard/Troi story when they were visiting Starfleet Academy as the Dominion attacked Earth.

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Hearts and Minds – Dayton Ward
This is another great entry from Dayton Ward, focusing on a supposed first contact with a civilization that actually visited Earth in the twenty-first century. Tensions run high as the civilization harbors a grudge due to a major planetary catastrophe related to Earth, and Starfleet Command doesn’t help matters any as they navigate the classified history behind the event. There are a lot of moving parts in this novel and it moves quickly. I had trouble putting it down so I could go to bed.

Stage

Ghostbusters In Concert – Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
I like these presentations with a movie screening while a live orchestra plays the score. The only one I saw before this Return of the Jedi, and both provided a great opportunity to see the orchestra work. It adds a whole new dimension to the film for me. These presentations can be pricey, but if you get the opportunity and enjoy live orchestral music, I recommend jumping on it.

‘Twas the Night Before… by Cirque du Soleil – Broadway in Atlanta
While not as strong as other Cirque du Soleil presentations, this was still enjoyable. Other Cirque shows tend to be original stories, and this one is a bit constrained by the boundaries of A Visit from St. Nicholas. It was still a visual treat and the performances were still awe-inspiring, and it was the first Cirque show I have seen on a standard stage instead of in the round or at a sports arena. That’s kind of flexibility and quality is something I admire about the company.

Games

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – Nintendo Switch
I realized that I haven’t really talked about this game yet. While it’s not as immersive as its two 3D predecessors, Echoes of Wisdom is still a fun and engaging experience. I appreciate the simpler puzzles and easier combat, both of which provide a good gateway to new and younger fans. I also appreciate the focus on Princess Zelda and a greater reliance on puzzles than combat. I’m looking forward to finishing this one as soon as possible.

Next Time

Next quarter should bring more television content as autumn and winter shows end their seasons. I’m also looking forward to a couple of upcoming theatrical releases. Of course, I won’t have the holidays to catch up on titles since the new year brings the long stretch of work from January to May without a company-sponsored holiday. Basically, it’s a long road to Memorial Day.

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.

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.

Culture on My Mind – Narrative Diversions (Summer 2024 Edition)

November 23, 2024November 22, 2024 Michael Falkner1 Comment

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.

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.

Culture on My Mind – Narrative Diversions (Spring 2024 Edition)

July 12, 2024July 10, 2024 Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Spring 2024 Edition)
July 12, 2024

Narrative Diversions is a look at the various pop culture things I’ve been watching, reading, and playing over the last few months.

Movies

Damsel (2024) – PG-13 [Netflix]
Millie Bobby Brown headlines this fantasy adventure film that tries to turn the typical princess-in-distress on its head. You know, I give it points for effort. The effects and acting were decent, and Millie Bobby Brown carries the story fairly well for a spell. The basic idea is good, but the execution is bog-standard and drags down the pacing. In the end, this was just okay.

Mean Girls (2024) – PG-13
Not everyone likes musicals, and the trailers did not emphasize that this version is based on the Broadway musical instead of the 2004 film or the book Queen Bees and Wannabes. It was bait-and-switch, but it’s also basic marketing. At any rate, my wife and I loved the musical interpretation we saw in 2022, and this version was still fun. It’s a great update by the same team that made the original.

Irish Wish (2024) – TV-PG [Netflix]
This one was kind of painful. The cast, plot, and setting were fine – it was pretty standard fare for a low-budget rom-com – but Lindsay Lohan and Jane Seymour were definitely miscast.

In reverse order, Jane Seymour was wasted as a slapstick mother figure who can’t catch a break. An actress with her pedigree didn’t deserve a cameo role with embarrassing physical humor jokes. Meanwhile, Linsday Lohan wasn’t convincing in the lead role, coming across as one-dimensional and disinterested rather than likable. She really acted like she would have rather been anywhere else. Lohan’s wardrobe was amazing and the character’s arc was fun, but I wish she would have brought more to the role.

Interestingly, though, Ed Speelers showed more depth in the first ten minutes of this film than he experienced in the entire third season of Star Trek: Picard. Cheap shot? Maybe, but I liked him more in this role than in a franchise I grew up with.

If you have 90 minutes to kill and nothing more interesting to do, maybe consider doing your laundry. If that’s already done, maybe…?

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) – PG-13
Frozen Empire is to Afterlife what Ghostbusters II was to the 1984 original. That’s not a dig or damning with faint praise because I like all of the movies under the Ghostbusters banner. (Yes, even the 2016 reboot, even though that one is the weakest of the set.)

The problem with this installment is it tries to do too much. I really like all of the ideas, but expanding the Ghostbusters corporate footprint, hunting Slimer, and alienating Phoebe was too much to cram into two hours. It made the finale (including Peck’s comeuppance) feel more like an afterthought than a major milestone.

That last plot point – alienating Phoebe – was the worst one. It didn’t make a lot of sense to me since Phoebe proved herself in Afterlife by literally saving the world. Unfortunately, this movie pits everyone against her simply because the mayor disagreed with Phoebe being on the team. It paints Callie in a bad light as a mother who doesn’t stand up for her daughter.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the film overall, including the cameos from the surviving original cast on the franchise’s 40th anniversary. Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis were definitely missed in this one. I’d also love to see this brand spinoff into different franchises worldwide or even into a multiverse (both of which were discussed as possibilities before the 2016 reboot).

Television

Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 3 [Disney+]
Since 2005, I have painted the clones who executed Order 66 as villains. Over time, continuity has shifted away from every clone killing Jedi because of a compulsory order or a biological inhibitor chip to some clones being able to resist or being immune. More importantly, The Bad Batch has added humanity back to the clones by making some regret what their actions have wrought upon the galaxy as the Empire comes to power. This concept, exploring these soldiers and the repercussions of warfare and compulsory murder, has been something I have wanted since The Clone Wars introduced the Bad Batch characters.

This final season explored that and elements of cloning leading into the Sequel Trilogy. I really like what they did with Omega and how the series ended.

I will miss the Bad Batch and this era of Star Wars storytelling under Dave Filoni. I’m sure we’ll see these characters in some form again.

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire [Disney+]
Following the style set by Tales of the Jedi, this anthology series provides backstory for two recent major characters. I was particularly interested in Barriss Offee’s story, which was left hanging at the end of The Clone Wars Season Five. This is definitely worth the watch and makes me wish that they produced more of these on a more regular basis.

Star Trek: Discovery – Season 5 [Paramount+]
The final season of this show that heralded Star Trek‘s return to the small screen was a mixture of ups and downs, but mostly ups. Despite being a Dungeons and Dragons-style quest adventure, this season did get Star Trek back to exploring the human condition. I liked the story overall and enjoyed how the series ended (even though it was a surprise for everyone involved), but I wonder why Moll had any sway over the faction that she led. I also missed seeing Detmer and Owosekun in the final episodes, which was a giant character hole in the story due to scheduling conflicts.

I’ll miss seeing Disco and I hope some of these characters get to guest in the upcoming Starfleet Academy series.

Doctor Who – Series 14 (Season 1) [Disney+/BBC]
No spoilers for the Timestamps Project, but I enjoyed this new set of adventures. It was fun and exciting, and I looked forward to watching each week. Unfortunately, I don’t think the season finale stuck the landing.

More to come when the Timestamps Project picks up again.

Station 19 – Season 7 [ABC via Hulu]
Grey’s Anatomy – Season 20 [ABC via Hulu]
My wife is a fan of these shows but I find a few of the characters interesting. I liked Station 19 a bit more than Grey’s, and the former came to a satisfying end with its series finale. I hope some of the characters bleed over (pun intended) to the latter show, though I wonder how much fuel that one has left in the tank. (Yes, I’m torturing the hell out of these mixed metaphors.)

Bridgerton – Season 3 [Netflix]
Keeping the Shondaland thread going, Bridgerton is an alternate Regency-era romance drama that leans into pop culture. If I believed in guilty pleasures, this would be one of mine because it’s light and fun to watch. Nicola Coughlan and Claudia Jessie stand out in a powerful cast who seem to love what they do. I’m looking forward to Season Four when it arrives in 2026 (or later).

X-Men ’97 – Season 1 [Disney+]
This was amazing. Picking up where the original X-Men animated series left off, this ten-episode set was a ride. The animation styles have changed, but the Saturday morning feeling was still there.

Season Two is in production and Season Three is in development.

Fallout – Season 1 [Amazon Prime]
Equally amazing was this series, which struck me right out of the gate as a faithful adaptation that can stand alongside the games. It’s also easily accessible to newbies and non-gamers. It was fun to discuss episodes and theories with my wife as she experienced this universe with fresh eyes. Top to bottom, beginning to end, no notes.

Here’s hoping that Season Two comes soon.

Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense – Seasons 1-2 [Hulu]
This series was brought to our attention by family who share our love of role-playing games. This one is about a girl who wants to play a new virtual reality multiplayer online role-playing game, but she’s not keen to get hurt so she maximizes her defense stats at every turn. As a result, she breaks the game by playing it by her own rules. It’s hilarious and adorable, and well worth the time. This is coming from someone who has a hard time getting into anime.

FBI – Season 6 [CBS via Paramount+]
FBI: Most Wanted – Seasons 5 [CBS via Paramount+]
FBI: International – Seasons 2-3 [CBS via Paramount+]
After the Winter 2024 edition of Narrative Diversions, we finally caught up on this Dick Wolf (of the perennial Law & Order juggernaut) franchise. Again, standard procedural drama focused on police work. FBI and Most Wanted were the stronger of the three series since International felt aimless as Luke Kleintank telegraphed his departure. Notably, we were more worried about the dog (whose fate was left hanging at the end of Season Two and wasn’t resolved until the end of Season Three) than any of the human team members. We referred to the show as FBI: Tank Watch.

Meanwhile, Dylan McDermott’s character remains grumpy – we jokingly called his show FBI: Most Grumpy – and the supporting characters (especially Hana) carry the show.

FBI has been renewed though Season Nine (2027), Most Wanted through Season Six, and International through Season Four.

The Good Doctor – Season 7 [ABC via Hulu]
I wasn’t a fan of this series’s short, final season. The series was kind of controversial considering its depictions of autism, but I admired the heart and character interactions. The final season seemed to throw away Shaun’s character development to drive conflict. Asher Wolke’s tragic death and Antonia Thomas’s return (which felt like stunt-casting) pulled me all over the place and made me lose interest due to frustration. That said, I was invested in the finale, particularly in Richard Schiff’s story and the epilogue.

This show deserved better.

The Rookie – Season 6 [ABC via Hulu]
Season Six was fun but short. I liked where the storylines were going (though the international trip with some of the The Rookie: Feds cast was outrageous even by this show’s standards) but it was pretty obvious how the 2023 strikes hurt the season by cutting episodes.

Season Seven will be back to 18 episodes, and I’m looking forward to it.

Tracker – Season 1 [CBS via Paramount+]
We were drawn in by the premise of an independent survivalist and tracker who found missing people. I liked Justin Hartley since Smallville, but my wife recognized him from This is Us. His charisma drives the show, and I really enjoy the MacGyver and Magnum P.I. energy that it channels along with the unforgettable supporting cast. A second season is on its way.

Not Dead Yet – Season 2 [ABC via Hulu]
This season was definitely weaker than the first one, which focused more on Nell’s development and growth thanks to the supporting cast. This season pivoted to Lexi and her issues with rich daddy Duncan Rhodes, and I feel like it detracted from the show’s vision. This was emphasized by the reduced role of the ghosts in the show. It’s no wonder that viewership dropped and the show was cancelled.

Heartland – Season 16 [Netflix]
My wife loves horses so this wholesome show about a family and their ranch is right up her alley. I tend to work on this website while the episodes play, but it also reminds me of my childhood years spent on the local rodeo circuits. There’s not much more to say about a feel-good program that’s not overly preachy.

Designated Survivor – Season 3 [Netflix]
When Designated Survivor premiered in 2016, I was intrigued by the premise. What happens if a terrorist attack takes out the entire line of succession and most of Congress during the State of the Union? How does the country go on?

Season One was great, but Season Two was disappointing. When the show was cancelled on ABC and resurrected on Netflix, it took me five years to close the loop and finish the show. In the end, it was just okay. The family themes were simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking, and the discussions around various political issues were engaging. The downfall is the election itself, which tried to set the stage for a third-party victory against the two major parties. The problem is how it was predetermined by making one of the candidates incompetent and only ensuring Kirkman’s victory through broken integrity. Kirkman’s third-party underdog won in a two-party race mired by mudslinging and poor ethical choices.

He wouldn’t have won otherwise. It’s quite the indictment of our system, don’t you think?

Books

Star Trek: Typhon Pact – Brinkmanship – Una McCormack
Star Trek: The Fall – Revelation and Dust – David R. George III
Star Trek: The Fall – The Crimson Shadow – Una McCormack
Star Trek: The Fall – A Ceremony of Losses – David Mack
Star Trek: The Fall – The Poisoned Chalice – James Swallow
Star Trek: The Fall – Peaceable Kingdoms – Dayton Ward
Star Trek: The Next Generation – Takedown – John Jackson Miller
The Typhon Pact series wrapped up as I expected. Though Brinkmanship was a good novel and I enjoy this version of Ezri Dax, the series remained haphazard and unfocused without resolution.

The Fall took a bold step forward as a sequel series – effectively Typhon Pact, Part II – by holding a definite through-line of major tragedy and existential threat. It played on many fronts, from an alternate universe found in an orb vision to familiar worlds like Cardassia and Andor. I found the battle between opposing viewpoints intriguing and particularly poignant in light of modern events.

The Fall was a sword, focused and true.

Takedown picks up Admiral Riker’s story from The Fall in a decent mistaken identity/intentions story. Unfortunately, it strained belief as it used a familiar possession trope to move the plot. After decades of stories in the Star Trek universe, I find it hard to believe that none of these Starfleet officers immediately picked up on Riker’s sudden transformation.

Does no one read the mission logs?

Avengers Forever – Kurt Busiek, Roger Stern, Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino
I did not finish this book. I started it and was thoroughly lost, finally realizing that I didn’t have the background to understand the various colliding realities and storylines.

Stage

Shrek: The Musical – Broadway in Atlanta
This was a special addition to our season ticket package, and we expected the adored version that ran on Broadway in 2008. Unfortunately, this revival tour cut a lot of corners. The music and the acting were great, but the costumes and sets suffered. Our version of Donkey looked like the costume was a grey sweatsuit and hoodie from Walmart.

I want to see this musical again when the production has enough money to do it right. I’d also prefer an Equity version where the actors and crew are paid fairly for their work.

Six – Broadway in Atlanta
This was amazing. A rock concert telling the stories of Henry VIII’s wives was imaginative and fun, and the end message was a good one. I had a great time.

To Kill a Mockingbird – Broadway in Atlanta
I generally like Aaron Sorkin’s work, and To Kill a Mockingbird is special in my heart. The book was one of my formative works, a story through which I began to understand my country’s racist history, the inequities in its justice system, and the value in shades of gray. My fervent hope was that Sorkin wouldn’t mess things up. He did not – the stageplay was exquisite and powerful. It was the perfect way to end this Broadway in Atlanta season.

Games

None this quarter.

Next quarter, there will be a good number of titles to consider, including Star Trek: Prodigy, House of the Dragon, Resident Alien, and The Boys. We are also watching Star Wars: The Acolyte, which we are enjoying despite its flaws.

(Amusingly, that title lays bare the toxicity and media illiteracy of the extremists in Star Wars fandom. From review bombing the show and its episodes hours to days before their premieres to leaving negative reviews of unrelated titles that share the word “acolyte,” they’ve proven that (1) audience-driven review sites no longer have value, and (2) that their claims of wanting “better writing” and “better stories” that “respect the lore” are only code to mask their gauche beliefs.)

I’m still reading my way through Star Trek novels, this time starting with the Prey trilogy. I’m also two-thirds of the way through Superman Smashes the Klan and savoring it.

Otherwise, the list may be a little shorter since the summer quarter includes Dragon Con and I’ll need to prepare for the discussion panels.

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.

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.

Culture on My Mind – Narrative Diversions (Winter 2024 Edition)

April 5, 2024April 8, 2024 Michael Falkner1 Comment

Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Winter 2024 Edition)
April 5, 2024

Narrative Diversions is a look at the various pop culture things I’ve been watching, reading, and playing over the last few months.

Movies

The Gray Man (2022) – PG-13 [Netflix]
I spent a lot more time on television and books this quarter. But, if shallow action flicks with a lot of twists are your thing, this will be right up your alley. The premise orbits around an agent named Six, an uber-skilled assassin for the CIA who ends up on the run after a mission goes a little caca. In response, the agency sends psychotic Captain America after him.

Every actor in this film, from Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans to Jessica Hanwick and Alfre Woodward, chews up every last bit of scenery. It is an orgy of action with predictable political thriller elements, but you can tell that the Russo brothers had a blast making it. Pop some corn, pour a drink, and invest an overly long two hours into not thinking about the details.

Television

Quantum Leap – Season 2 [NBC]
This season of the revival continues the spirit of its progenitor in a loose thirteen-episode arc focused on family and love. Unlike the near-uniformity of the original series, this series throws twists and turns to share up the status quo, including a version of The Time Traveler’s Wife and a fair amount of the “I Thought You Were Dead” trope. It also enables the entire cast to pursue their respective agencies through varying storylines that all come full circle in this show’s core message.

I’ll spoil a bit here: There is no Sam Beckett. And, you know, I’m okay with that. The final title card on the original series finale stated that Sam never returned home. While he left a family behind, he also carried a calling from a higher power – known in fan circles as GTFW: god, time, fate, whatever – and that mission became his purpose.

If the current production team chooses to put a bow on Sam’s story, that’s perfectly fine. I’d love to catch up with Donna Eleese and Sammy Jo Fuller. I’d love to see some kind of tie to the origins of Lothos and the “evil leapers”. I’d love to hear Ziggy speak again. I’d love to know what happened to the original PQL site at Stallions Gate.

But if none of that comes up in the future, I’m okay with that too. I’m happy to let this one stand on its merits, especially with that season finale.

EDIT: Within hours of publication, industry trades broke the news that this show is officially canceled. It’s not unexpected, but still disappointing.

The Floor – Season 1 [Fox]
Eighty-one contestants enter, each armed with their own categories of expertise. One by one, they play a game of trivia meets Risk until one is left standing on the Floor. Some flaws are obvious – in particular, the Randomizer is obviously geared toward emphasizing drama – but the gameplay is engaging and fun to play with at home.

The Irrational – Season 1 [NBC]
We were drawn to this one because of Jesse L. Martin, and while it is a typical procedural, it has a good hook with Alec Mercer’s use of behavioral science to solve crimes. The underlying story is also decent but by the numbers when all is told. The supporting cast is a treat and they evolve as the season progresses.

I liked this more than Lie to Me, which is now 15 years old.

Press Your Luck – Season 5 [ABC]
The original Press Your Luck aired from 1983 to 1986, but I caught it on Game Show Network in the mid-’90s. I fell in love with it but didn’t engage with the ensuing variations. When ABC resurrected the show in 2019, I was already invested. Adding Elizabeth Banks as the host was icing on the cake.

Much like Peter Tomarken’s enthusiasm in the original run, Elizabeth Banks obviously loves her job. She gets into the game and loves to see the contestants win. The additional bonus game that takes up the second half of the hour is a great addition.

This show is must watch television when a new season starts. My only complaint is that the seasons are too short.

FBI – Seasons 1-5 [CBS via Paramount+]
FBI: Most Wanted – Seasons 1-4 [CBS via Peacock]
FBI: International – Season 1 [CBS via Peacock]
Back to the procedurals, this Dick Wolf (of the perennial Law & Order juggernaut) franchise is generally episodic and came recommended. The drama is standard for Dick Wolf television, but these shows definitely lean more on the police work since lawyers aren’t involved. The draw for us is the characters, and FBI is much stronger than Most Wanted since the latter changes characters like dirty socks. Most Wanted is also a darker show, and it lost a bright light when Julian McMahon moved on. Dylan McDermott’s character is too erratic for my tastes, but the supporting characters (especially Hana) keep me around. International has a solid cast and a dog, but it’s also fairly dark when it comes to subject matter.

Watching these shows has been a task of its own: FBI is on Paramount+, but the spinoffs are on Peacock. We wouldn’t be able to watch the spinoffs if we didn’t have free access to Peacock through our cable provider. (There’s another discussion to be had about the future of television relying on the viewing public’s Google skills to figure out where to watch various episodes. No wonder piracy still exists…)

We’re interested enough to watch the new seasons as they premiere (which will all be on Paramount+, thankfully). We’re going to finish Season Two of FBI: International before jumping into the new episodes just so we’re up to date when the crossover episodes hit.

Found – Season 1 [NBC]
The premise drew me in, but I wasn’t sold until the end of the pilot episode. The main characters kept me engaged because they’re not monolithic. Each one is traumatized in some way and that diversity drives their interactions. Unfortunately, the season dragged in the second half as the drama surrounding Gabi’s secret started to smother the show.

Echo [Disney+]
I liked the character when she debuted in Hawkeye, and the evolution as she returned home was great. The respect paid to Native American traditions was nicely done, and I loved seeing how Alaqua Cox’s portrayal changed as her character grew. I’m looking forward to seeing where both of them go in the future.

For All Mankind – Season 4 [Apple TV+]
I was concerned about this season when it started because of how disjointed it was. By the time it concluded, the threads came together nicely. There’s not much more I can say without possible spoilers, so I’ll leave it with this: I look forward to news about Season Five.

The Crown – Seasons 5 & 6 [Netflix]
When Season Six debuted, I remembered that we never watched Season Five. Both of them are about the same standard set by Peter Morgan, but it was pretty obvious that he was having trouble with the final season since the events were more recent and didn’t have the deep historical analysis of those of fifty years and beyond. The story had a lot of time jumps after Lady Diana’s death, but the finale was amazing, especially in that final scene that alluded to the Queen’s death.

Halo – Season 1 [Paramount+]
My message to the Halo fanbois: I’m sure you own all the games. Probably multiple versions of them. The novels and comics too. If you want that story, go play your games and read your books!

In 2018, Showtime president Gary Levine announced that their version of Halo would be set in a parallel timeline and would draw from the Halo canon while working with Microsoft and 343 Industries to ensure authenticity. This Halo is not the version in the games.

I can understand being upset about a lack of faithful adaptation if the intent was to be faithful. The recent Dune movies come to mind with the significant continuity changes in Dune 2. But the intent with Halo was to tell a new story separate from the games. That’s what this show is, and no amount of kvetching in social media comments, bullying fans of the show, or harassing the show’s stars online will change that.

As far as the show is concerned, it is a slow burn focused more on the characters than on the bang-bang-shoot-em-up. I love that about this adaptation. The battles are nice, but it’s obvious that the showrunners know what they’re capable of. The fall of Reach, for example, is obviously a large chunk of the budget so it’s told in far less epic scope than the game/novel month-long siege.

I loved Season One and Season Two improved on it. I hope the show gets another run.

Books

Star Trek: Typhon Pact – Zero Sum Game – David Mack
Star Trek: Typhon Pact – Seize the Fire – Michael A. Martin
Star Trek: Typhon Pact – Rough Beasts of Empire – David R. George III
Star Trek: Typhon Pact – Paths of Disharmony – Dayton Ward
Star Trek: Typhon Pact – The Struggle Within – Christopher L. Bennett
Star Trek: Typhon Pact – Plagues of Night – David R. George III
Star Trek: Typhon Pact – Raise the Dawn – David R. George III
Star Trek: Typhon Pact – Brinkmanship – Una McCormack
The Typhon Pact series is a collection of hits and misses for me. It follows the Destiny trilogy (which I enjoyed) and A Singular Destiny (which I have not yet read). Basically, the Romulans, Breen, Tzenkethi, Gorn, Tholians, and Kinshaya combine forces in a fractured alliance. They stand together against the Federation and the Klingons, but they also have their own goals and motivations.

Zero Sum Game involves a covert mission to the Breen worlds after the Typhon Pact steals plans for a quantum slipstream drive. I loved exploring the Breen people (which smooths over some of the discrepancies in the species from the television series) and the story between Bashir and Sarina Douglas. The cat-and-mouse story on the USS Aventine was also fun. The downside was Section 31, a group that I have been tired of for a long, long time.

Seize the Fire took me back to the USS Titan and a tense story about the Gorn and the future of their species. It was very much a submarine story mixed with the “boldly go” mission of Star Trek, but it was here that I started to wonder about the cohesive nature of the Typhon Pact series. The two novels weren’t linked, and it felt like the series was going to tell stories like an extended anthology series.

Rough Beasts of Empire was hard to finish. Not only does it do a lot of time jumping, but the two storylines didn’t engage me. The first concerns Spock’s Reunification Movement and the cold war between the two Romulan governments in the aftermath of Star Trek: Nemesis. I like Spock, but the three-way political conflict felt like a whole lot of wheel-spinning that eventually tied into the Sisko story. That storyline pissed me off.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended its run with Sisko joining the Prophets in the wormhole. He told Kasidy and Jake that he would return, which he did in Star Trek: Unity at about the same time his daughter Rebecca is born. And then he gets a message from the Prophets that his life with Kasidy will be nothing but strife, so he abandons them. That’s right, Captain Benjamin Sisko, the strong single father we grew to love over seven years of magnificent television gets tossed into the stereotype of black men being absentee fathers who are disengaged and irresponsible.

That is not the Benjamin Sisko I know. Benjamin Sisko would not abandon his family, even with the vague foretellings of the Prophets on his mind. Benjamin Sisko would work through adversity and build the best life possible with his loved ones. Benjamin Sisko promised to return to those he loved when his time with the Prophets was done.

I don’t buy the Sisko who ran off to hide on a starship without a word of explanation to his wife.

Anyway…

Paths of Disharmony was a far better story, this time bringing the internal Andorian conflict to a head as they try to resolve their reproductive crisis. The Typhon Pact was vindictive and the ending was heartbreaking, but the political story and action were engaging. This one kept me up late quite often.

I wasn’t really impressed with The Struggle Within. This was an ebook novella in the set and the majority of the conflict centers around the women of the Talarian Republic fighting for equality. That should have been a good story, but it focuses more on Beverly Crusher being taken hostage and only features a small influence from the Typhon Pact. The story should have been longer and more involved.

Plagues of Night finally ties all of the disparate novels together, but it comes across like a slide show of vignettes. This is where the primary weakness of the series is displayed: I feel like it would have worked better to tie all of these threads together over a cohesive serial, thereby showing us the overall growing threat to the Federation. Plagues of Night finally picks up when it runs out of “remember when” moments and unites the Federation and the Romulans in a peaceful experiment. Of course, it all goes sideways and ends in a most shocking and explosive cliffhanger.

Raise the Dawn represents the chaotic state of affairs after what would otherwise be a declaration of war. It’s like a “day after” of the 9/11 attacks, and that uncertainty on a galactic scale is fascinating. David R. George III also gains a little redemption for how Sisko was portrayed earlier in the series as the character threads get tied off.

I haven’t finished Brinkmanship yet; I crossed the 50% mark just as the quarter ended (hence, why the cover is grayed out in the cover gallery above). The story is kind of interesting but it’s leading me to the same question I’ve had since I started this eight-book series: What exactly is Star Trek: Typhon Pact trying to do? I’d like to know if this is just a set of stories strung together because of the circumstances, or is this set trying to accomplish something else? I feel like there won’t be a definitive conclusion – a solved problem, such as a peace treaty – when all is said and done.

Stage

Hamilton – Broadway in Atlanta
This is one of my favorites. We originally bought season tickets to the Fox Theater’s Broadway Across America tour to see it, and we see it every time it comes to town. This was our third live showing, and our fourth distinct showing if you count the Disney+ version. I always have a good time with it.

Beetlejuice – Broadway in Atlanta
I haven’t laughed this hard in a while. This musical takes all the good bits from the 1988 film and runs with them in an irreverent, often self-referential rollercoaster ride. I really appreciate how they beefed up Lydia’s role as a protagonist. It’s rude and crude: If that’s your cup of tea, find time to see this show.

Games

Super Mario Odyssey – Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Wonder – Nintendo Switch
The time I invested in video games as 2024 started was with my wife. She loves the Mario games and these two were time spent together having fun. They’re quite enjoyable.

I’ll get back to Tears of the Kingdom soon enough.

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.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Narrative Diversions (Autumn and Post-Strike 2023 Edition)

January 19, 2024January 17, 2024 Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Autumn and Post-Strike 2023 Edition)
January 19, 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 will also cover the movies and television that I did not detail in the Summer 2023 edition due to the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Movies
Summer 2023

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) – PG
I will admit that I was skeptical about this movie because the history of video game movies has been so tumultuous. As I mentioned when I looked at the history of Mario’s voice in film, television, and games, it’s only in recent years that video game movies really started to take off.

The thing about this one is that everyone at the helm gets what makes Mario tick. This was a delight from start to finish. It was a pure celebration of the joy in the Mario franchise. The story clips along without being weighed down by the legacy, and it is chock full of easter eggs and references that make me want to watch this again and again.

It also gives me hope for future Nintendo properties at the theater, including The Legend of Zelda and Metroid.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) – PG-13
I know that it’s en vogue to dog on Disney and the legacy of Lucasfilm. I don’t do that here. I don’t have a slavish devotion to the brands by any means, but seeing their names on the screen doesn’t turn me into one of those rabid angry fanboys that you find on YouTube.

I’ve been a fan of the franchise since a friend of mine introduced me to Raiders of the Lost Ark in the ’90s. He had it playing in the background while we chatted and I was transfixed by the monkey who stole items. The dialogue still sticks in my mind today when I think of Jacob: “Bad dates.” I caught up on the films and the Young Indiana Jones series later on, and had my first theatrical experience with Indy while on deployment with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Silver screen-biased memories aside, I still enjoy that film. While fans find the inclusion of mind-reading aliens hiding in El Dorado to be a step too far, I consider it on par with hunting mystical artifacts with religious pasts. If the cult-like fandom surrounding Giorgio A. Tsoukalos has taught us anything, religious devotion comes in all flavors.

That same out-there sense of wonder combined with a healthy suspension of disbelief allowed me to enjoy a time travel tale based around another religious artifact. It also helps that Dial of Destiny is a story about taking care of loved ones in their twilight years. We all get older, be it through years or mileage, and I found this story to be a beautiful swan song for a Gen X action hero.

Dancing Queens (2021) – TV-MA [Netflix]
I won’t be as verbose about this one. It’s the standard dubbed European dancing film, but this time it also plays with drag queens.

(Somewhere in the bowels of Florida, someone just got triggered and that makes me smile.)

It’s the standard Cinderella story with hidden identities, the runaway revelation moment, and a happy ending where everyone wins. But it also made me laugh quite often with its flamboyant charm. It’s worth the 110 minutes.

Plus One at an Amish Wedding (2022) – NR
This was another random find on Netflix, but it comes more from the “faith and family” side of things. Thankfully, it never got preachy. Instead, it’s a squeaky-clean lather-rinse-and-repeat of the bog-standard romantic comedy formula. The characters had chemistry and it was engaging enough to keep my attention for 90 minutes.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (2023) – PG-13
There is a lot of discourse around the idea of “superhero fatigue” these days, but this Guardians installment tells me that people aren’t tired of superhero fare. They just want it to be meaningful and engaging.

Think about it: Marvel’s Phases Four and Five have been bifurcated messes split across the cinema and paywalled streaming-only television series. Meanwhile, DC Comics has thrown a lot of money into CGI-amplified slugfests that were sabotaged by the announcement of an impending reboot. Yet we still have successes with Spider-Man, WandaVision, Loki, What If…?, and others.

People want engaging stories. The fatigue comes from being asked to accept whatever the studios want to throw at us.

(Yes, I know that I didn’t mention anything from DC Comics in my successes category. First, my lists don’t always align with the zeitgeist. In fact, some of my favorites from Marvel’s recent phases would have the internet legions of doom demanding my fandom membership card… if I actually believed in such tripe. Second, I haven’t been really excited about anything from DC/Warner Bros. since Stargirl, Superman and Lois, and 2020’s Birds of Prey.)

I find Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 in the successes pile. It finds our heroes at a major inflection point as they all go on personal journeys and end up saving the galaxy one more time. It was a tear-jerker and I didn’t even notice the film’s length because I was so engaged with the story and the journey. I know that this was the last hurrah for a few of the actors in this team, and I will certainly miss this dysfunctional family.

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) – TV-14 [Netflix]
It was the name that drew my wife to this one. It was a beautiful romantic drama that took us on a rollercoaster of emotion from tears to laughter as a World War II survivor tries to find herself as an author in London. Fate draws her to the quirky crew of a book club on Guernsey where she unravels a mystery that helps everyone involved heal from their traumas.

The Whale (2022) – R

This is not a feel-good movie. In fact, it doesn’t pull any punches in its raw portrayals of grief, guilt, and mortality. Brendan Fraser’s performance was amazing as the chronically obese Charlie, a college professor who is self-destructive in his contemplation of his faults. Despite being an English teacher, he fails at communication even though that is his path to ultimate redemption with the people that he’s hurt and wronged. I was nearly brought to tears in the moments when his entire support structure eroded beneath him, leaving him bare and alone with his self-destructive nature.

I also need to mention Sadie Sink, who I recognize best from Stranger Things, and her great performance as Charlie’s estranged daughter Ellie. At one point her mother says that Ellie is simply evil, but the truth emerges in the end that she’s just as traumatized as her father.

The Beanie Bubble (2023) – R [Apple TV]

Based on real events and adapted from Zac Bissonnette’s book The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: The Amazing Story of How America Lost Its Mind Over a Plush Toy—and the Eccentric Genius Behind It, this colorful dramatization of Ty Warner and his brand is funny but not stuffy like a historical drama could easily be. In fact, the main players other than Warner are presented under pseudonyms, almost giving the story a fantasy element that accompanies its disjointed nature as it bounces around in time. I’m not a huge fan of Zach Galifianakis, but Elizabeth Banks is a favorite in our household and her energy was infectious. The movie was an entertaining way to spend date night.

Movies
Autumn 2023

The Little Mermaid (2023) – PG
There was a lot of tempest in the teapot over this live-action remake from a certain sector of the internet, but based on the scores half a year later, it seems that the “anti-woke” campaign fell flat.

Indeed, no version of The Little Mermaid will ever compare to the spectacle of the 1989 animated masterpiece, but this one has heart of its own. Halle Bailey does phenomenal work as Ariel, bringing the character’s wide-eyed innocence to the spotlight with her own unique flair. The other standout performance was Melissa McCarthy as Ursula as she channeled Pat Carroll and Divine while adding her special touch to the character.

It’s a beat-for-beat copy of the original Disney adaptation with some new musical numbers, but the performances and minor changes do enough to set it apart and allow it to breathe. I really enjoyed the movie. I also have to laugh at the detractors who thought that calling back to the source material was enough to justify their stand against a woman of color playing the title role. The original story was first published in 1837 by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. While the country is diverse today, Denmark is historically noted by fair-skinned people with blue eyes and blonde hair. Of course, a story written by a Danish man for Danish children is going to represent the norms of the culture. The argument that a woman of color can’t play the character today is silly at best.

Note how the detractors didn’t fully embrace the source material, which is quite dark, and offered the little mermaid a chance at a good life in exchange for killing the prince. Spoiler: She refuses and dies, becoming an immortal spirit instead. The spirit element holds true for the historical mythology of Black mermaids as well, as explained by Professor Jalondra Davis.

Also worth noting? Disney has included diverse characters in this franchise since the early ’90s. Most notably, Gabriella was a mute mermaid who communicated by sign language.

As always, the “anti-woke” crowd can go pound sand.

Elemental (2023) – PG
This movie flew under the radar, but it is a wonderful tale about immigration, work, and love. It’s a personal story for director Peter Sohn, and while it meanders a bit, it’s still quite touching and beautiful overall.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) – R
I have a soft spot for this increasingly ridiculous action franchise, but this is a good place to let it rest. As the creative team continued to amp up the threats to super-assassin John Wick, they also increased his seeming invulnerability leading to several points in this movie that challenged my suspension of disbelief. Given the ending of this film (and the negative reviews from my friends of the current spinoffs), I’m happy to leave this story behind and wait for the next creative venture for Keanu Reeves.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) – PG
I was highly impressed with this sequel. It improves on the first movie in nearly every way, including the graphics and the characterizations. I also loved the ratcheting tension as the mystery gets unraveled, especially including the massive multiverse chase with all of those Spider-Beings. The cliffhanger that sets up Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse truly works, and I’m eager to see how they wrap this up.

Haunted Mansion (2023) – PG-13
It’s a greatest-hits version of the famous Magic Kingdom ride with additional humor and loads of CGI. The villain is a character with very little screen time in the actual ride, but I felt like it worked with this typical Disney joyride. The story does flounder a little bit in the third quarter, but it wraps up just fine with the normal Disney happy ending. It’s kind of shallow but still fun.

A Man Called Otto (2022) – PG-13
Tom Hanks plays the “grumpiest man in America” and the audience grows to realize that there’s always a path to understanding people. This was a hard movie to watch because it doesn’t pull any punches with triggering situations, but it is a fascinating look into grief and love. It had us in tears by the end of the film.

The Flash (2023) – PG-13
Warner Bros. put Batgirl through the shredder for this steaming hot mess of a film. The Flash doesn’t know what kind of tone it wants to maintain. It bounces from whimsical slapstick (including a hospital rescue with some of the worst CGI I have seen) to serious drama (with the bog standard time travel trope of going mad while trying to make history absolutely perfect).

Ezra Miller started this tale at a disadvantage with me. They have enjoyed considerable clemency from WB regarding their numerous arrests and accusations of grooming and abuse because of the studio investment in this Elseworlds retelling of Man of Steel, and it highlights the differences between Warner’s DC films and Disney/Marvel’s cinematic universe. Miller never recovered from that disadvantage, and I never found a reason to care about this film or its place in the superhero genre. Especially since WB had already announced that their DCEU was coming to an end before this one premiered.

Michael Keaton was fine in this story, though I wonder how his character would have been different/better in Batgirl. The 1990s Batcave was beautiful. I adored the new vision for Supergirl, and it is a shame that Sasha Calle won’t get to don the cape again. The Bat-cameo at the end made me laugh out loud.

Those were the highlights. I can’t find anything redeeming about the rest of this bloated and meandering mess.

Barbie (2023) – PG-13
The polar opposite of The Flash in character development and analysis of the human condition, this film was a hit in our house. It doesn’t pull any punches as a tribute to the legacy of Barbie that explores both good and bad parts of the doll’s history. It also packs a good deal of bold social commentary while taking a meta approach to how role play with the brand intersects with real life. It was well-written and well-directed.

No Hard Feelings (2023) – R
This Jennifer Lawrence vehicle certainly tried, but it couldn’t shake the ick factor that hung around its neck. The entire premise (which feels like it was ripped from the pages of an ’80s/’90s/’00s teen sex romp) revolves around a 32-year-old woman posing as a twenty-something hired by a 19-year-old high school grad’s parents to help him have sex before going to college. Her payment is a used car, which she can then use to make ends meet.

Yeah, it’s as creepy as it sounds.

There’s a slight bit of redemption in the final act, but Lawrence’s character never comes across as endearing or appealing. There’s even full-frontal nudity meshed with a strange fight scene on the beach. It’s friggin’ weird, man.

The positive is that the cast truly had a ball making this comedy, and it shows in their performances. I just couldn’t get past the ick factor. Watch it if you have an hour and forty-five to kill, but otherwise, just fire up one of your favorite ’80s-’00s high school sex comedies instead.

The Marvels (2023) – PG-13
There are a lot of reasons why this Marvel entry failed at the box office, including the Hollywood strikes that prevented Marvel’s typical publicity blitz and the political backlashes against Disney and female-driven fare. But if you look at the reactions from people who actually went to the film, it’s apparent that quality is not the problem.

I loved this title, from the chemistry among the three lead women to the short, tightly-paced runtime. This film is swimming in personality and joy, and it was able to tell its story without being too saddled with the MCU’s history.

The negativity being dumped on this film comes from the typical ass-end of the internet that hates everything about women in comic books, Brie Larson overall, and anything “woke” (which they have trouble defining beyond buzzwords). If you’re a Marvel fan, I highly recommend this film. Our group had a ball with it, and it ranks among the top of Marvel’s cinematic offerings for 2023. Judge it on what you see, not on what some YouTuber with an agenda (who might not have even seen the film) has to say.

Best. Christmas. Ever! (2023) – TV-PG [Netflix]
No. It’s. Not!

Okay, look: Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, and Jason Biggs give their all for this movie, but it cannot overcome the schmaltzy script and contrived plot devices. There are moments of humor driven by the child actors, but the rest failed its overall potential.

It’s the very definition of cheesy Christmas movie, but even my cheesy Christmas movie-loving wife had a hard time making it through 82 minutes.

Family Switch (2023) – PG [Netflix]
The “Freaky Friday” Flip is a well-worn trope, and this iteration combines it with the ever-popular Dysfunctional Family trope to help everyone learn a lesson from Rita Moreno. The actors all do great work, both in their own roles and their swapped roles. The only dodgy combination (for obvious reasons) is the baby-dog swap due to questionable CGI and quite shallow slapstick humor. Otherwise, this Freaky Friday spin is mostly harmless.

The Family Plan (2023) – PG-13 [Apple TV+]
We were pretty entertained by this story about a secret agent hiding in a form of witness protection. It does good work with Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan carrying the bulk of the film, but the kids shine as well. It was fun to spot some local Atlanta-area locales posing as places across the country. The cheesy and fun plot also resolves well in the end.

Genie (2023) – PG [Peacock]
Completing this trio of fun films, the story of a dysfunctional family driven by a workaholic father who finds a genie fits the bill. It plays with the genie and unexpected consequences tropes quite well, eventually resolving in a happy ending with all the threads tied off. Melissa McCarthy shines as the fish out of water genie, and Paapa Essideu is quite engaging as Bernard. It’s a fairy tale comedy worth the 90 minutes.

Television
Summer 2023

Resident Alien – Seasons 1 and 2 [Syfy via Peacock]
I love Alan Tudyk and this concept, and the cast of this comedy is pretty amazing. It’s also nice to see a comic book adaptation from Dark Horse Comics. Sadly, I feel like this comedy got a little stale in the sophomore season as the main conceit – the alien outsider sent to destroy the planet learns the value of humanity – got lost in a plot without focus.

It’s still worth the watch for the cast and their antics, but I’m not that excited for the eventual third season.

Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets [Hulu]
Do you want the definition of cult? Look no further than this family, their beliefs, and how they sold the ideology to the American public through reality television. There is a pile of disgusting and disturbing behavior beneath the surface of the shiny façade, and it shows just how much the “good ol’ boy” privilege network and piles of cash will hide it from the world.

Ted Lasso [Apple TV]
As a soothing balm in contrast to that last title, Ted Lasso is just beautiful. I adored every minute of this show and the stories it told, both about optimism and recovery from trauma. The characters all have room to shine, and the ideals of redemption and potential spoke to me. Loudly. It was tough to set this one down every night.

Like The Good Place, I want a complete Blu-ray set on my shelf so I can watch this over and over again at any time. I’m not a soccer (football) fan, but I am a fan of AFC Richmond. Binge this show. It’s a life-changer.

Bless This Mess [ABC via Hulu]
This is a lesson in getting through the first few episodes because this series is dumb as a bag of hammers, but the writing and production values didn’t engage until the finale of the first six-episode season. I was ready to give up on this mindless mess until “The Estonian Method,” after which everything gelled. The characters became likable and the jokes actually got funnier. Strangely, it hit that mark when it actually embraced the absurdity and dialed it to eleven.

This isn’t spectacular by any means, but if you want to watch some really ignorant city folk try to be farmers by watching YouTube and living in a deathtrap of a house, go for it. Just know that the series ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.

Secret Invasion [Disney+]
Trainwreck.

Okay, okay, look… I liked the basic conceit of this series, and there are a lot of elements that I liked overall, but the show left way too much potential on the table as it tried to figure out what it was. It literally went through an identity crisis, starting as a sci-fi political thriller but receding into a pile of abandoned plot threads as characters passed the “stupid ball” back and forth. Even Nick Fury, who is supposed to be ten steps ahead of his opponents, ends up on his back foot way to often in this show, and his arc is cut short by yet another CGI slugfest instead of restitution for his sins.

It’s a stepping stone in Marvel’s Phase Five, but it doesn’t provide many answers. In fact, it opens up more holes than anything else, and it leaves the world worse than when the show started. It also fridges main characters whom we have adored for years. The end of the first episode is unforgivable.

I’ll give one bright spot amid this show’s narrative fog: Olivia Colman nailed it.

Otherwise, this was disappointing, and should have spent more time on the drawing board to find cohesion.

Good Omens 2 [Amazon Prime]
I adored this follow-up to the first series. The basic thread of love was a fine exploration, and the ending broke my heart as a result. It’s a great parable about love, religion, and the friction that exists between the two. As someone whose background includes a religion that constantly forces people to choose between faith and love of those who don’t believe, this story spoke to me on a different level.

Of course, the solution’s hand was tipped early in the series and the main story seemed a bit sparse, leading to the tangent tales from the past to amplify things. But overall, I really enjoyed the ride.

How could you not with Michael Sheen and David Tennant?

The Witcher – Season 3 [Netflix]
I put this season on the same level as Season Two, neither of which holds a candle to the first season but are still fun fantasy action dramas. It will be interesting to see how (if at all) the change in lead actors is addressed.

I’ve seen a lot of fans who think that Netflix or the showrunners have done Henry Cavill wrong, but I’m not a Cavill “stan”. It will be interesting to see what Liam Hemsworth does with the role.

Hijack [Apple TV]
A tense and enjoyable thriller, but there are a lot of characters playing with the stupid ball near the halfway mark. Daniel the detective and the airplane’s pilot, for example. I also wasn’t a fan of some of the dangling plot threads at the end. I did enjoy how they basically played this series in real time, though, airing enough episodes to cover the time of the flight.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 2 [Paramount+]
I adore this series because of how willing it is to experiment and explore. Putting Star Trek‘s first musical episode and an animated crossover next to compelling stories about PTSD, war, and relationship stress is a bold move that pays off because it makes me care about these characters. The musical stood out because Trek is no stranger to silliness, and it’s good to see the actors having fun with their roles.

I also don’t worry too much about the dreaded c-word – continuity! – because Star Trek has never (never!) been that concerned about it. Continuity is truly a fan-driven drama and not something that I feel concerned enough about to argue instead of the philosophical meat of the franchise.

If anything, I’d like these seasons to be longer, but that’s purely selfish because I don’t want them to end.

Silo – Season 1 [Apple TV]
This set of episodes did really well with keeping momentum and intrigue as the mystery was unraveled. The ending was shocking and offers a lot of potential for what comes next. I’m also really interested in the book series that inspired the television series.

Television
Autumn 2023

I am Groot – Season 2 [Disney+]
There’s not much to say about I am Groot except that it is adorable. I love watching little Groot having little adventures in the universe, and I think the only downside is the prevalence of scatological humor in these episodes.

Gaslit [Starz]
This docudrama about the Watergate Scandal is not a feel-good miniseries at all, but it does shine a light on some of the lesser-known greed and darkness surrounding the corruption in the Nixon Administration. This was a series that we could only take an episode every one or two days. Powerful but intense.

Star Wars: Ahsoka – Season 1 [Disney+]
I’m a sucker for all things Ahsoka Tano and this show is no exception. I loved diving into the continued mythology of the Force and Ahsoka’s path concerning it. Hardly a missed beat along the way and I’m eager to see what comes next.

Family Law – Season 2 [CW]
The second season of Family Law redeemed Jewel Staite’s character for me as she continues to grow and evolve. Finally free of her community service, she’s able to challenge her boundaries and stand up for herself without threat of repercussion. There are a lot of strong and relevant stories in this season, and I’m on board for another set from this team, which will apparently debut in the US in mid-January.

Viper
Sometimes I play catch-up, and this is one of those titles. For reference, I watched this in syndication when I was a teenager, and while I recognized the B-movie plots and cheesy humor, the technological side (both on the show and behind the scenes) kept me engaged. I mean, it was all about a transforming supercar that defied the laws of physics in the same vein as Knight Rider.

It originally ran for four seasons, starting on NBC in 1994 before getting canceled and revived. It ran for three more seasons in syndication between 1996 and 1999 before being axed for good. It ran on my local stations as late-night Saturday programming, and I usually flipped over to it while I did my homework.

It certainly hasn’t aged well, especially considering its dependence on “might makes right” police storylines. Much of what Team Viper did was outside the lines of normal police protocol, and many of their missions wouldn’t stand up in court. In that regard, it’s like the Batman effect: The police are so ineffective at their jobs that a shadowy force has to step up instead. It becomes hand-wavy if you think about it too hard.

On the other hand, I do miss Heather Medway on my television. I enjoyed the balance that she brought to the show, especially after Dawn Stern left.

I might have to write more about this childhood touchstone.

Star Trek: Lower Decks – Season 4 [Paramount+]
Lower Decks is one of my favorite recent Star Trek series, and the fourth season keeps ramping up the quality in both animation and story. The gentle pokes at the legacy of Star Trek are also great fun, and it helps that the show is laughing with fans about those touchstones rather than at the audience. It doesn’t bully fans, and that’s important while parodying some of the franchise’s sillier moments.

The Wheel of Time – Season 2 [Amazon Prime]
I know that this show is a controversial one among Wheel of Time fans, especially since it doesn’t hew to the Robert Jordan novels that inspired it. That said, I really enjoy watching it. The show is a parallel universe for my wife (a fan of the novels) and an easier-to-digest version of the story for me (someone who couldn’t get through the novels). I’m also a big fan of Rosamund Pike, so that helps.

It also motivates me to pick up the novels again. Maybe I’ll do it again one day.

The Morning Show – Season 3 [Apple TV+]
The Morning Show keeps getting wackier. This time, they tackled the Elon Musk mindset and the January 6th insurrection, and there was a lot of great character development as our main characters tried to navigate love and loyalty. It ends in a good place that opens a few doors for Season Four, and I eagerly await what they do next.

Loki – Season 2 [Disney+]
I wondered how the Loki team would top their efforts in Season One. Yeah, they did it, with recursive storylines, the ever-present threat of Kang the Conqueror (who is likely getting a new face in the near future), and some answers to questions that we’ve had about the TVA regulars for quite some time.

Oh, yeah… and some of that god with glorious purpose stuff. I really liked how this version of Loki ended up, and I’m okay if there are no more seasons left here. This particular version of Loki, spawned from an alternate timeline in Avengers: Endgame, has ended up in a good place. This was easily one of my favorite recent offerings from Marvel Studios.

Upload – Season 3 [Amazon Prime]
I expected this to be the final season, so when the story kind of meandered all over the place, I was worried about how it would wrap everything up in eight episodes. As it turns out, this season ends with a cliffhanger opportunity for a fourth installment. As of this writing, a renewal hasn’t been confirmed, but this series continues to explore some strange territory in a world where life and the soul don’t seem dependent on having a physical body. Combined with some poignant and timely social commentary, this is easily one of my favorite science fiction properties on television.

The Buccaneers – Season 1 [Apple TV+]
My wife loves period dramas, so this remake of a miniseries based on an unfinished novel was quite appealing. The story revolves around a group of young American women who travel to 1870s Britain in search of fortune, titles, and (hopefully) love.

The positives here all revolve around the agency of the women, including the desire to find love overriding the draw of fame and fortune, as well as how to deal with domestic abuse in the very patriarchal nineteenth century. The negatives center on the ever-present period drama trope of miscommunication. It’s frustrating when the conflicted characters don’t sit down and talk. Instead, there are a lot of assumptions and prejudice-driven interpolations where there should be heart-to-hearts between these supposed best friends.

The modern soundtrack is anachronistic but catchy, and I’m admittedly invested in these characters despite my frustrations with their choices. I was also quite happy to see Christina Hendricks on the screen again.

What If…? – Season 2 [Disney+]
What If…? Season One was amazing, and Season Two continues that quality. I loved seeing Captain Carter take a major role, and the zany Die Hard parody for Christmas Eve was hilarious. The crown jewel this season was Kahhori and her episode that was primarily voiced in the Mohawk language of Kanien’kéha and Spanish. I hope to see her in the MCU again.

Books

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Mission Gamma: Twilight – David R. George
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit – Heather Jarman
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Mission Gamma: Cathedral – Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Mission Gamma: Lesser Evil – Robert Simpson
I have been enjoying the Deep Space Nine revival “season”, but the Mission Gamma miniseries was a set of hits and misses for me.

Twilight had the hard job of setting up the miniseries, concluding the Gateways crisis and launching an exploratory mission to the Gamma Quadrant. I mean, truly getting Star Trek back to boldly going! I really like the adventure with the Vahni Vahltupali and the inner conflict for Thirishar ch’Thane and his responsibility to the Andorians. I was also pleased with the circumstances on Deep Space Nine itself, between Kira’s personal faith crisis and the goal of finally admitting Bajor to the Federation.

This Gray Spirit also caught my attention as it carried the story threads forward with a plot concerning a dispute between species that enraptures Shar. The heart-breaking ending for him was hard to get through. Powerful but difficult. Cathedral started to slip a bit for me with a mysterious artifact that enabled the old de-evolution trope. It did have one hell of an ending, though, which drives Lesser Evil on the Alpha Quadrant side. Unfortunately, the Alpha events far outweighed the been-there-done-that Borg story around Prynn and Vaughn that undoes everything they’ve worked so hard to mend. That development was frustrating.

Thankfully, the Sisko elements on Earth helped bolster the last two books.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Rising Son – S.D. Perry
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Unity – S.D. Perry
In general, I liked this pair by S.D. Perry, but I favor the latter over the former. I feel like this “season” of adventures could have spread Jake Sisko’s story throughout the various books rather than compressing it into Rising Son. That said, I did enjoy the spirit of Star Trek that the story embodied by having Jake seeking out new worlds alongside the mystery of former-Kai Opaka. It’s not a spoiler… she’s on the cover.

Unity really tied everything together for me, though, including a plot about the parasite species that were introduced in The Next Generation‘s first season. Benjamin Sisko’s long overdue return was also a great way to end this effective season.

Star Trek – Starfleet: Year One – Michael Jan Friedman
In what is an alternate universe approach after Star Trek: Enterprise, this tale explores the beginnings of Starfleet after the Earth-Romulan War. I enjoyed seeing the dichotomy between the explorer captains and the military captains, and I appreciate how well Michael Jan Friedman wove them together to solve a conflict in the Star Trek manner.

Star Trek: Destiny – Gods of Night – David Mack
Star Trek: Destiny – Mere Mortals – David Mack
Star Trek: Destiny – Lost Souls – David Mack
I won’t tell you the overarching plot of this trilogy, but the whole thing is chock full of great character development mixed with frustrating and heartbreaking scenarios. I really liked how Erika Hernandez, the captain of the Columbia NX-02 from Star Trek: Enterprise was the central character, and I really appreciate the imagination that set up the origins and explosive conclusion to a major galactic threat that I had really ceased caring about on television.

Oh, and Captain Ezri Dax is pretty badass.

Reads in progress:

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (32%)
Star Trek: Typhon Pact

Stage

MJ: The Musical – Broadway in Atlanta
It’s a jukebox musical about the life of Michael Jackson as he geared up for the 1992 Dangerous tour. It’s full of history and pop, but because of the time in which it is set, it doesn’t touch on the darker parts of his legacy. The portrayal of Michael Jackson was really good from all of the actors who played him throughout his life. It’s a good story and production, but I preferred Tina more.

The Wiz – Broadway in Atlanta
I haven’t seen the 1978 film – the ironic timing with this production following after MJ: The Musical is not lost on me – but this revival of the 1974 production that inspired the film was fun. It was a great interpretation of The Wizard of Oz, and I was tapping my toes along with the music more than once.

Annie – Broadway in Atlanta
Speaking of musicals and their related films, this was another fun experience. The lead in our production was a pitch-perfect match for the orphan character, and the pup playing Sandy was having a blast. Story-wise, this one did fall apart a bit with the dispatching of the villains, but otherwise, it was a good time.

Games

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch
I haven’t invested a lot of time on the gaming front as 2023 wound down, but what time I did spend was devoted to Hyrule. I left everything with a save point right before the final battle, so all I need to do now is work up my armor and supplies before saving the world.

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.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Narrative Diversions (Summer 2023 Edition)

September 8, 2023September 5, 2023 Michael Falkner1 Comment

Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Summer 2023 Edition)
September 8, 2023

Narrative Diversions is a look at the various pop culture things I’ve been watching, reading, and playing over the last few months.

Movies and Television

As I mentioned back in mid-July, I stand with the members of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA as a creative who has seen fellow creators treated like garbage since they weren’t seen as valuable human beings. To that end, I will mention the films and shows that I have taken in during the last few months, but my thoughts on them will have to wait until the strike comes to a satisfying conclusion.

Remember that no one is forcing me to do this. I choose to do it because it is the right thing to do in support of my family and friends in the industry, those who create for themselves, and those who share their art with the world.

Books

Star Wars: Heir to the Empire – Timothy Zahn
Star Wars: Dark Force Rising – Timothy Zahn
Star Wars: The Last Command – Timothy Zahn
I originally read this series in 1994. I received them alongside the second edition of the Star Wars trilogy anthology, and I was amazed at the time that they were a continuation of the films. Notably, despite the timeline authorized by Lucasfilm (but not necessarily by George Lucas himself), they were the only books to be deliberately marketed as such in the former Expanded Universe.

The trilogy definitely holds up nearly twenty years later. I enjoy Timothy Zahn’s recent canon trilogies about Grand Admiral Thrawn that accompany the character’s appearances in Star Wars Rebels, and those stories do not detract from this original adventure in the least. Thrawn is still just as menacing and really puts the heroes through their paces. It’s no wonder that he is such a force in the modern era of the franchise.

If you have never read this trilogy and are a fan of Star Wars, give them a shot.

The President’s Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity – Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy
This is a fascinating history book that explores the role of former Presidents of the United States as mentors and guides for sitting Presidents. There was a lot that I didn’t know about how this very exclusive fraternity works and some of the challenges they have collectively tackled.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Twist of Faith

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Avatar, Book One – S.D. Perry
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Avatar, Book Two – S.D. Perry
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Section 31: Abyss – David Weddle and Jeffrey Lang
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Gateways: Demons of Air and Darkness – Keith R. A. DeCandido
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Gateways: What Lay Beyond – “Horn and Ivory” – Keith R. A. DeCandido

It’s no secret that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is my favorite Star Trek series, and I was excited to find out in 2001 that there were continuation novels. I remember reading and enjoying the two Avatar books by S.D. Perry, but I fell away afterward as my college studies and naval training took up my time. I recently picked up the Twist of Faith omnibus and enjoyed the five collected stories that follow the crew in the aftermath of “What You Leave Behind”. I’m also eager now to read the Gateways series and the rest of the Deep Space Nine series, especially to find out how Ezri and Kira’s lives progress from here.

Stage

Wicked – Broadway in Atlanta
This is the third time I have seen this musical – once in Memphis and twice in Atlanta – and it’s definitely one that I’ll go see every time I have an opportunity. I really like the extra dimensions that it adds to the classic Wizard of Oz movie while incorporating elements of the books. It’s also far better than the original Wicked novel. I was not a fan of that read at all.

Games

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch
I’m finally to the point when I can dive into the final matchup against Ganondorf. That’s where I left it before finding an Xbox Series X and changing gears a bit. I’m also eagerly awaiting what comes next in the coming months for this experience. Rumor says… maybe a DLC package?

Star Wars: Jedi Survivor – Xbox Series X
I really loved Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, and this sequel is a great improvement on it. The characters have all gone their separate ways and are forced to find each other when a threat from the High Republic era challenges the galaxy. Despite having fewer planets to visit, this game improves by encouraging exploration and questing. It’s fun trying to decide between the main story or the various side missions.

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.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Narrative Diversions (Spring 2023 Edition)

June 9, 2023September 1, 2023 Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Spring 2023 Edition)
June 9, 2023

Narrative Diversions is a look at the various pop culture things I’ve been watching, reading, and playing over the last few months.

Movies

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) – PG-13
This is the first Dungeons & Dragons movie that I have fully enjoyed, and that’s probably because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. In fact, it plays out like many of the campaigns that I’ve played over the years, mixing humor and heart with a story that’s easily understood. The sword and sorcery are organic, but they don’t overwhelm the humanity within.

It also acts as a love letter to the brand and its history, including a hilarious nod to the classic D&D cartoon from the 1980s.

Tetris (2023) – R [Apple TV]
This is based on the true story of Tetris, and despite some obvious Hollywood liberties, it tracks very closely to that complicated tale of getting this popular Soviet computer game to the Western world. I was engaged from start to finish, comedy, drama, and thriller included.

Ghosted (2023) – PG-13 [Apple TV]
As the polar opposite of Tetris, this spy flick channels those of the 1980s and 1990s with its absurdity and ridiculousness, but flips the typical gender roles with success. It doesn’t take itself seriously at all, and it includes a ton of cameos that add to the fun. Don’t expect a straight spy thriller here. Instead, come in expecting a B-movie with plenty of gunplay and slapstick humor mixed with some less-than-believable rom-com elements.

Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) – PG [Disney+]
As someone who grew up on Disney masterpieces, when people ask why the Disney classics need a remake, this will be one of my examples. Unfortunately, those reasons are also why this movie is getting review-bombed on IMDb by the usual suspects who hide like cowards behind terms like “boring,” “poorly written,” “woke,” and “not faithful to the original.”

Peter Pan is one of those evergreen properties that has been done and re-done seven ways to sunset. This version tracks pretty closely to the 1953 animated Disney classic, but it steps up in ways that the Disney original could not 70 years ago: Wendy takes on a much more substantial role in driving the plot, gaining a ton of character development over the typical mother role; Meanwhile, Tiger Lily is played by a legitimate Cree actor and this interpretation drops the stereotypical red skin and feather motif for a realistic representation of Native people; The Lost Boys include girls, minorities, and an actor with Downs Syndrome, and while they don’t have the staying power of the Lost Boys from Hook, they certainly don’t simply fill space; Finally, Peter is allowed character growth while being vulnerable about his past in Neverland.

Oh, dare I mention it, Tinker Bell is played by a Black actress. *gasp* How woke!

Despite the hue and cry from the tiny corner of the internet that supposedly rejects “cancel culture” while actively trying to cancel anything they don’t like, none of these changes negatively impacted the story. In fact, I fully believe that this version of Peter Pan is a great way to tell this classic tale in a manner that modern-day children will get. Unlike Pinocchio, this live-action remake had heart and kept me engaged throughout. The child actors did a phenomenal job as well.

Television

Quantum Leap – Season 1 [NBC]
This revival series has an interesting road to walk. In an era of television where spectacle seems to reign supreme and stories need to aggressively hook the viewer instead of building slowly over time, Quantum Leap chose to take the path of its predecessor. It hearkens back to a time when good heroes traveled from place to place and did good deeds along the way in a subtle fight against the wrongs in society. Television shows like The Incredible Hulk, Knight Rider, and the original Quantum Leap don’t really exist anymore, but their messages are still so important because one person can make a difference.

I loved how this revival took the basics of the original and modified them just enough to help them fit into the modern day. The concept of the Waiting Room is gone due to advances in technology and anyone can communicate with the Leaper in the Imaging Chamber. I also loved seeing more of an ensemble cast fleshing out the team at home that helps Ben solve his problem of the week.

The big difference is that this version also runs a season-long story arc in addition to the moral of the week format, and I really got into the mystery as it developed.

Quantum Leap isn’t about macho guns-blazing action and big CGI spectacles. Quantum Leap is about finding the good in life, embracing family, and acceptance. The original run was very progressive for its time, and this revival hits the mark in so many ways. I really hope that Scott Bakula can fit in somehow in the future.

Shadow and Bone – Season 1 [Netflix]
I generally don’t like many fantasy shows because I have a hard time following them, but this one was a bit easier to get into. There are still a lot of easy shortcuts and plot-armor moments to move the plot, but I recommend it and I’m even considering reading the books that the show is based on.

The Mandalorian – Season 3 [Disney+]
This season was divisive among fans, but I had a great time with it because of how it expanded the current continuity and teased things yet to come. The underlying thread of the Mandalorian people – the modern Star Wars equivalent to both the Romani and the Jewish diaspora, which were parallels drawn early in Season One – fighting for their true home is a powerful turning point for their people, and I don’t put much stock in complaints that Din Djarin was “upstaged on his own show” by Bo Katan. Season Three was a logical extension of the Mandalorian story.

I’m also a really big fan of this “Filoni-verse” concept where everything in this time period is connected. Marvel tried it once in the early days of the MCU, but Ike Perlmutter was Ike Perlmutter.

Star Trek: Picard – Season 3 [Paramount+]
The third and final season of this show went down the road that Patrick Stewart had feared since the show was announced. He signed on for the role because it wasn’t a Next Generation reunion, yet here we are.

Season Three gave fans that reunion and answered the question posed by Star Wars fans about what the sequel trilogy could have been with original heroes on one last adventure. That answer is fan service in lieu of a coherent plot, exchanging the soul of boldly going for a bumper crop of “member berries”. The ten-episode run was like a bowl of candy and lacked any amount of the philosophical meat that has defined Star Trek since 1966. Seasons One and Two were narrative dumpster fires, but they at least tried to tread new ground before getting bogged down with navel-gazing. Season Three was nothing more than TNG‘s greatest hits designed to allow the most popular Enterprise crew to ride into the sunset for (checks notes) the third time.

Fun? Yes. Disappointing? Definitely. At least it has generated plenty of interest in the “Star Trek Legacy” idea.

Alaska Daily – Season 1 [ABC]
This series is a slow-burn drama about a disgraced veteran journalist who finds a career revival while investigating the disappearances and murders of native women in Alaska. It’s a great vehicle for Hilary Swank and addresses a real-world concern with reverence and honesty. I loved the characters and the show, but it was recently canceled by ABC.

The Diplomat – Season 1 [Netflix]
Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell had a ball with this political drama that balanced tension with humor sometimes flirting with the absurd. The chemistry among the cast is good but the plot does get a little muddy from time to time. It also ends on a cliffhanger to tease a second season (which recently became official).

The Good Doctor – Season 6 [ABC]
Like most long-running fan-favorite television dramas, this one has become more about the characters than the plots. Those characters continue to grow and change with minor speedbumps along the way. Those bouts of friction can seem contrived but also (to some degree) believable because humans are far from rational.

This season also contained a backdoor pilot for The Good Lawyer, which I hope gets a series pick up because it was one of the episodes I enjoyed most.

The Company You Keep – Season 1 [ABC]
I tuned in for Milo Ventimiglia, Sarah Wayne Callies, and William Fichtner. I stayed for Catherine Haena Kim and the family drama. The romantic collision course storyline evaporates in lieu of political and criminal intrigue, which betrays the initial hook but carries the show fairly well. The characters are engaging and the theme music that kicks in when the family starts their cons makes me tap my toes every time.

It was recently canceled by ABC, so one season is all we get.

The Rookie – Season 5 [ABC]
The Rookie: Feds – Season 1 [ABC]
If you want a set of police procedurals with a high level of accuracy, these aren’t your shows. The big draw for the pair is the characters and their relationships. We started watching The Rookie because of Nathan Fillion, but the rest of the characters are easy to invest in. Both shows are quite predictable, but they have heart. I also appreciate the bits of social commentary that they add about modern policing in America.

Not Dead Yet – Season 1 [ABC]
It’s the story of a woman in search of a better life who also sees dead people. The situations and characters make me laugh, and Gina Rodriguez really sells this show. I can’t stand Lauren Ash’s character Lexi, but that’s more of a feature than a bug for this dysfunctional work family. It’s getting a second season as well.

New Amsterdam [NBC]
I missed this on the last post. Again, it comes down to characters and how they deal with conflict. Max wears his heart on his sleeve and has to manage his people while facing constant rejection for his out-there ideas. The show really fired on all cylinders with relationships and commentary on American medicine, but it really faltered after Max moved to London and continued to stumble in the final season. Even so, the finale was a tearjerker and I miss this series overall.

I also want to see the lost episode that was pulled due to COVID-19.

Sweet Tooth – Season 2 [Netflix]
Season One was amazing in its purity and innocence. Season Two picks up after the cliffhanger with intrigue and character drama leading into some great action in the last few episodes. I enjoyed the season but I feel like they spent way too much time with the kids being confined. The season felt so much better once the zoo was left behind.

Season Three will be the final one.

Schmigadoon! – Season 2: Schmicago [Apple TV]
Season One was hilarious. Season Two brought more of that while changing the tone to parody the darker side of Broadway musicals. While the ending serves as a good series finale, I really hope that we get a third season.

Star Wars: Visions – Season 2 [Disney+]
Another solid set of “what if” stories from the Star Wars universe, though I engaged more with this season than the previous one. Given the franchise’s origins in Akira Kurosawa films, it lends well to the anime genre.

Night Court – Season 1 [NBC]
Despite what the trolls on the internet say, this is in the tone and spirit of its predecessor. I binged the original series on Amazon before diving into this one, and they flow quite nicely together. I had a good time with the dumb humor and I hope that Season Two only continues to improve (just like the original did).

Secrets of Sulphur Springs – Season 3 [Disney+]
I love the easy-to-digest concept but shows starring kids are always racing the clock. This younger-audience time travel show doesn’t hold back in how it plays with characters spanning vastly different times all fighting against a single threat. The story over the last three seasons has been coherent enough, even if the details become murky in the long stretches between the seasons. The big problem comes from trying to tell a story that takes place within a few months or so while the child actors are obviously growing and aging.

The resolution also rankled a bit when it embraced the easy heaven/hell tropes to wrap things up. That bit came out of nowhere.

Shrinking – Season 1 [Apple TV]
It’s a story about grief and mental health, and it’s told in a quirky and often hilarious manner. Harrison Ford played himself, but he did it all too well. This was touching and had my wife and I rolling in laughter.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story [Netflix]
Grey’s Anatomy – Season 19 [ABC]
Station 19 – Season 6 [ABC]
Aside from being Shondaland productions, there are good reasons that I linked these three together. First, they are shows that I pay half attention to as my wife watches them. She does the same with my CW superhero shows, and we spend time together in the meantime. Second, they are thematically similar in their soapiness, sincerity, and messages.

On the Seattle side, the stories and characters are often shared between Grey’s and Station 19, but I found that the firefighters have the more powerful character dramas while Grey’s did a better job of tackling conflicts in modern medicine and politics. My wife and I agreed that Grey’s Anatomy has slipped quite a bit in quality – the COVID-19 arc where Meredith spent the season in a coma-fever-dream state was terrible – but hopefully things change with next season’s new showrunner. I give the show a ton of credit for lasting two decades.

Station 19 and Queen Charlotte both did well with stories about mental health, and I admit that the finale for the Bridgerton spinoff had me in tears. Admittedly, it’s a historical drama that takes a ton of liberties for the aesthetic that makes Bridgerton successful, but it made me care for this version of King George III. While the clip-show episode in the middle of the set brought the dramatic momentum to a screeching halt, it was important to provide context for the king’s character. Station 19‘s arc with Maya and Carina also got to me emotionally.

I appreciate shows that do mental health stories well.

Books

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin – Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, and Andy Kuhn
My TMNT was the cartoon series from the ’80s and the live-action films from the ’90s, so when I have the opportunity to explore versions of the Turtles outside of those childhood experiences, I take it. This limited series tells a story of an apocalyptic future where one of the Turtles is left standing and seeks vengeance against the Foot Clan for his family following their conquest of New York. It was pretty powerful and a great read. It’s also prompting me to check out the fifteen collected volumes from IDW that are available on Kindle Unlimited.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volumes 1-14 – Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Bobby Curnow, Sophie Campbell, et. al.
Following my reading of The Last Ronin, I dove into the available IDW collections on Kindle Unlimited. These collections chronologically assemble the mainline and additional side stories, and they explore the lean green fighting machines as reincarnations of Hamato Yoshi and his four sons from feudal period Japan. These stories have plenty of fighting, a lot of metaphysical and ethereal stuff, and great opportunities for April, Casey, Splinter, and characters new to me to take the spotlight. There are a lot of wacky storylines too. I got hooked and have really enjoyed reading them.

Reads in progress:

The President’s Club by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy (43%)
The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (32%)

Those in-progress titles haven’t budged due to the lean green ninja teens. I did finish Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, which has only gotten better as we both have aged. I’m continuing with Dark Force Rising and The Last Command as palate cleansers.

Stage

A Soldier’s Play – Broadway in Atlanta
This is not a feel-good story, but it is an important one to tell in the vein of Greek and Shakespearean tragedies. It’s a loose adaptation of Billy Budd, but it also discusses a lot of racial themes centered on the World War II time period. My wife got chills by the end and I cried based on my family’s history with the military. Powerful stuff.

Moulin Rouge! – Broadway in Atlanta
I had no idea what to expect since I’d never seen this production or the movie version before. It was beautiful and bonkers if not a bit predictable. I’d definitely watch it again, and the movie version is now on my watch list.

Games

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch
I’ve been getting lost in Hyrule and this story since it was released. People who claim that this sequel is nothing more than Breath of the Wild DLC have no idea what they’re talking about. I’m loving it and wish that I had more time to spend on it.

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.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Narrative Diversions (Winter 2023 Edition)

April 14, 2023September 1, 2023 Michael Falkner1 Comment

Culture on My Mind
Narrative Diversions
(Winter 2023 Edition)
April 14, 2023

Narrative Diversions is a look at the various pop culture things I’ve been watching, reading, and playing over the last few months.

Movies

Top Gun: Maverick (2022) – PG-13
I really need to dedicate a post to my history with Top Gun. The first film and the two Nintendo games were staples of my childhood and were big influences toward joining the Navy (like most 80s kids who were recruited). Anyway, this film was a fun return to Maverick’s world with amazing realism in the flight scenes, but there were a few things that really pulled me out of the experience. The first was surviving a Mach 10 incident, which is physically impossible. The second was the absurdity of the Star Wars-style mission and the escape that followed.

Additionally, the movie does flirt with Orientalism – stereotyping based on traits and representations of the Middle East and Asia – which becomes evident in the final act when Maverick and Rooster end up stealing an F-14 from the foreign power that Maverick’s team just attacked. The film goes to great lengths to avoid identifying the enemy who is enriching nuclear material, but it’s fairly easy to determine that the screenwriters are pointing toward states like India, Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea. Interestingly, Iran is the only one that currently operates F-14s. At least the screenwriters didn’t take the approach of making up a country with a -stan suffix on the end of the name, but they come awfully close to categorizing everyone in that region as an enemy.

Otherwise, like the first film, it was a fun popcorn action flick that I’ll easily watch again.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) – PG
Video game movies have historically been hard to pull off. The genre as we know it debuted with 1993’s Super Mario Bros. but has had a lot of trouble finding success until the last few years with Werewolves Within, the Angry Birds films, Detective Pikachu, Warcraft, Rampage, Uncharted, and the Sonic the Hedgehog films.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a critical and financial success, and it’s easy to see why. The first entry came out swinging for the fences with a ridiculously fun story and over-the-top performances, and the sequel did the same with obvious improvements in the special effects. If my young nieces and nephews are any indication, these movies both hit the mark with their target audience.

I’ll definitely be back for the third film.

The School for Good and Evil (2022) – PG-13 [Netflix]
This one was a ridiculous romp that played with the whole library of fantasy and fairy tale tropes. It was apparently adapted from a novel of the same name, and while the cast and visuals were good, the storytelling was all over the place. The movie doesn’t really inspire me to pick up the book series.

It’s worth a look if you have kids who love fantasy and fairy tales, though the nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime might be a deal killer.

She Said (2022) – R
A tough story to watch for sure, but necessary in this day and age. The story did meander a bit but I understand why given how difficult it was for Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey to uncover the details behind it. I have a lot of respect for their dedication.

I get that audiences didn’t want to revisit the scandals – especially people who think that #MeToo is overblown, that the victims have nothing to complain about, and that HW didn’t do anything wrong – but I’m hopeful that this film will take an important place in history as a chronicle of how and when things changed for the better in Hollywood.

Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) – PG
The first Jurassic Park was revolutionary. It was also the second movie that I saw in theaters. (The first was a re-release of Song of the South in the mid-80s.) Every sequel since has been a monster movie with a substantial budget, and while I enjoy watching the lizards eating hapless humans who don’t understand the Pandora’s box that they opened, none of them has reached the heights of the original.

This one was fun in parts, sluggish in others, and highly dependent on knowing what happened in the previous two Jurassic World entries. It was great to see the original trio back in action, though I would have also loved to see Joseph Mazzello (Tim) and Ariana Richards (Lex) back for even a quick cameo.

But, yeah… it’s apparent that the franchise has run out of creative steam. This is a good enough place to leave it.

Pinocchio (2022) – PG
In general, I have enjoyed the live-action versions of Disney’s animated classics. My favorites so far are 2016’s Jungle Book, 2019’s Aladdin, and 2019’s The Lion King. I also sing the praises of 2018’s Christopher Robin, though it’s not really a live-action remake. The rest of the crop have been okay, though Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella have stood out in that range.

Pinocchio was just bad. It was missing the soul of the 1940 film, and though the visuals and music were good, not even Tom Hanks could keep me engaged. Skip it.

Jungle Cruise (2021) – PG-13
It seemed like an absurd premise when it was announced. It ended up being a fun popcorn flick in the end. The writers were sure to knock out a ton of the jokes inherent to the Disney Parks ride within the first few minutes so that they could then settle into the story they wanted to tell.

With a two-hour runtime, it does lag a little in the middle and ends up being predictable, but Jungle Cruise is still a fun time.

Secret Society of Second Born Royals (2020) – TV-PG [Disney+]
In this story’s fictional European-styled kingdom, the first-born royal children get trained to be monarchs while the second-born royal children get superpowers. When those powers begin to manifest, the second-borns go off to a fancy school to learn how to become international secret agents.

The young actors do their best to carry the clichéd plot, but it starts to wear quickly. If you’ve got 100 minutes to kill, give it a shot.

Let’s Dance (2019) – TV-MA [Netflix]
Following the new Netflix trend of dance crew movies, this French comedy-drama is an exercise in the genre’s clichés. It kept part my attention while I worked on some other tasks. The highlight for me was the clever mix of classical music with dance music at the story’s climax.

Casablanca (1942) – PG
Believe it or not, I had not seen this classic before February 2023. It’s been on my list, but I just had not gotten to it. You can credit Mike Faber of The ESO Network for helping me to finally check this one off.

And it was worth every second. It easily earns its status as a classic film, and I was amazed at just how vibrant Ingrid Bergman was in every frame. Just amazing.

The Sound of 007 (2022) – NR [Amazon Prime]
This was a wonderful documentary on the history of music in the James Bond franchise, from Dr. No to No Time to Die. It’s definitely worth the watch.

Starring Adam West (2013) – NR [Amazon Prime]
An engaging biographical documentary about the life of Adam West. It was made four years before his death and is framed by the quest of his family and friends to get his name enshrined on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His energy and humor saturate the biopic and I enjoyed the experience.

Your Place or Mine (2023) – PG-13 [Netflix]
This is a pretty standard romantic comedy, but it stays engaging due to chemistry of Aline Brosh McKenna’s writing and direction combined with the acting of Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher. It starts with the main characters being close friends of many years who can pretty much finish each other’s sentences, and the questioning of that relationship within the first few minutes prompted me to blurt a truth out loud: Men and women can be friends without having sex.

I wish that’s where the movie had landed at the end, but the romcom formula demands a different resolution. Otherwise, I had fun with a lot of laughs.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) – PG-13
Ant-Man is one of those Marvel characters that keeps surprising me. When the 2015 film was announced, I was skeptical and had low expectations, but wanted to see what Marvel had to offer because of what they had done with their cinematic universe since 2008.

Quantumania continues the tradition. It’s a haphazard yet fun movie, opening our eyes to a new world of exploration. My biggest complaint is that an Ant-Man and the Wasp film has not enough of the Wasp. Of course, they could have been counting the original Wasp since Michelle Pfeiffer really dominates the Pym/Van Dyne side of the script.

I liked this one a lot more than Eternals and Thor: Love and Thunder. It was fun.

The Miracle Season (2018) – PG
If you’re a fan of the “based on a true story” genre, you may have a good time with this one. It’s apparently pretty close to the real events and deals with grief and pressure quite well. It stars Erin Moriarty, Helen Hunt, and William Hurt, which is a great acting lineup, and I was also quite impressed with the direction and cinematography for what is essentially a Hallmark-style film. It’s a touching 99 minutes.

Television

The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window [Netflix]
This 8-episode series is a straight-up parody of the Lifetime-style suspense/horror movie genre. It yo-yos between slapstick absurdity and legitimate whodunit mystery, and Kristen Bell really sells the silly. Don’t set your expectations too high, but I found it worth the three and a half hours for her comedic talents alone.

The Last of Us – Season 1 [HBO]
Remember what I said about video game adaptations? If the game is anyway near as good as this 10-episode series, I need to buy it yesterday. Every episode was an exercise in character development and motivations, and I cried during a lot of them. The “last of us” means the last of humanity as a global pandemic threatens to end our species. This series is telling human stories, and it does the apocalypse far better than The Walking Dead ever dreamed.

It also reinforces my viewpoint that adaptations do not need to be one-for-one carbon copies of the video game experience. If I want the original video game, comic, or book, I’ll go experience that. If I want another perspective on the universe of those publications, I’ll take the adaptation.

If this season had been all about taking out zombies with headshots, it would have been yet another boring gun-toting macho orgasm drowning in blood and brains. Or, like The Walking Dead, a prolonged period of drudgery and character torture without an endgame. Instead, we get legit drama and suspense, and I’m all for it.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 2 [Disney+]
Season 1 of this show portrayed a galaxy in flux and explored how the collapsed Republic’s clone army fit into the nascent Empire. Soldiers who didn’t follow orders were cast aside while those who did lived as best they could under the iron Imperial grip.

Season 2 brought me a start to a discussion I have wanted to see. How do the clones fit into a galaxy that no longer wants them? How are clones who executed Order 66 seen in public and amongst their peers? How do those who regret their actions cope with what they did? How will the clone army live without a primary purpose?

This season has made me question how I look at the clone army in light of Order 66 and the concept that “good soldiers follow orders.” Philosophical meat like this is one big thing that I love about Star Wars. Watching Omega grow up in this trying time and exploring the secret science of cloning under the Empire’s control are bonuses, and that season finale is… wow.

The Night Agent [Netflix]
I like a good political thriller and this one kept me engaged for the most part. It works in the spirit of 24, pitting an unlikely protagonist with baggage and wits against terrorists and corrupt politicians who will do very bad things in a very short time. There’s nothing new here, and ten episodes went by at a decent enough pace. I think it wrapped up well enough that we don’t need any more seasons, especially since the original source material was a single novel. There’s no need to expand this into several seasons.

(Apparently, Netflix and Sony Pictures Television think differently: ‘Night Agent’ Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix)

Books

Star Trek: The Eugenics Wars – The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 1 – Greg Cox
Star Trek: The Eugenics Wars – The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 2 – Greg Cox
Star Trek: To Reign in Hell – The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh – Greg Cox
This trilogy of books was really well done. The first two focus heavily on the events surrounding the Eugenics Wars and the life of Khan, and they include the adventures of Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln. They are the “Assignment: Earth” spinoff that I have wanted to see for a long time.

The third book spans the years between “Space Seed” and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, with a framing story that sees Kirk, Spock, and McCoy exploring the remnants of Khan’s encampment on Ceti Alpha V. I didn’t like it as much, though the events as Khan’s new civilization tries to survive were far superior to the framing story.

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, Volume 1 – A Survivor’s Tale – Art Spiegelman
Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, Volume 2 – And Here My Troubles Began – Art Spiegelman
This is a tough one to get through. It’s a real story about real people who survived the Holocaust, and it’s hard sometimes to think about how monstrous people can be sometimes. I laughed, I cried, and I resolved once again to ban fascists instead of banning books. This story needs to be read and comprehended far and wide.

DC: The New Frontier, Volume 1 – Darwyn Cooke
DC: The New Frontier, Volume 2 – Darwyn Cooke
A fascinating look at the DC Universe in the post-World War II era. It’s a world that still needs heroes, but one where living as one without a secret identity is a crime. It’s also a world without unity among the heroes, including hidden agendas and dueling ideologies. It’s a well-done tale that I really liked once I got into it.

Star Trek: The Stardate Collection, Volume 1 – The Early Voyages – edited by David Tipton and Scott Tipton
Star Trek: The Stardate Collection, Volume 2 – Under the Command of Christopher Pike – edited by David Tipton and Scott Tipton
A fun collection of titles from IDW Publishing. I especially enjoyed the adventures of Captain Pike on the Enterprise, though I was sad to see how the line ends with a cliffhanger.

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Death in Winter – Michael Jan Friedman
I wasn’t a big fan of this one. It’s a quick read and is definitely an interlude that transitions the Star Trek novel universe from the crew-shattering events of Star Trek: Nemesis to the continuing adventures between the pages, but the scenarios never really allow the characters to gel together. Picard pines for Crusher, Crusher spends the majority of the story as an injured prisoner, and Worf and La Forge (the last remaining Enterprise crewmembers) are sidelined.

I also haven’t read anything with the original Stargazer crew since 1991’s Reunion, so I have very little to connect me to the characters of Pug and Greyhorse.

Star Trek: Enterprise – The Romulan War: Beneath the Raptor’s Wing – Michael A. Martin
Star Trek: Enterprise – The Romulan War: To Brave the Storm – Michael A. Martin
I really enjoyed this duology, particularly with the complicated character growth and vignettes that highlighted random crews and troopers in the depths of war. The one big complaint that I had was this story’s reliance on previous novels – Star Trek: Enterprise – Kobayashi Maru, specifically – but that’s the downside to reading event novels in the middle of serial runs.

Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming – Christie Golden
Star Trek: Voyager – The Farther Shore – Christie Golden
This set is complicated for me. Overall, I like the story, but it bothers me that the first book is not marketed as the first part of a two-part story. The result is frustrating when you reach the end of book one with no resolution to the plot.

The story does open some interesting narrative doors and made me think about a few sci-fi concepts. It does briefly touch on the fact that Voyager was away for seven years experiencing some strange new worlds exploration while the Federation went through the Dominion War, and how alien the post-war Federation is to this crew. It also tries to play with a few Trek tropes to make you think you know what’s going on before pulling the rug from under your feet. But I don’t buy the motivations for the story’s main villain who, according to the flashback vignettes, does bad things because of a very traumatic childhood. The final resolution was also a bit too quick, opting for a fast shoot-em-up to tie everything off.

Worth the read? Yeah, but it really wasn’t the story I had hoped for to chronicle Voyager‘s homecoming.

Reads in progress:

The President’s Club by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy (43%)
The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (32%)

I have also started re-reading the original Star Wars Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn. I haven’t read these since they came out in the 1990s but I remember absolutely loving them.

Stage

Hadestown – Broadway in Atlanta
I went into this one completely blind. It was beautiful, but my heart soared once I saw that it was a modern retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It also made the climax that much more tragic because I knew what was coming. It’s a wonderfully done adaptation.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical – Broadway in Atlanta
I’m familiar with Tina Turner’s story within my lifetime, but I had no idea how tragic her childhood was. Those early years were difficult to watch in this dramatization of her life story, and Ike Turner’s introduction was chilling because I know how bad of a person he was in their relationship. The music was awesome and the lead actor at our show was pitch perfect in her shoes.

If you go to this one – and you absolutely should! – stay through the final curtain call. Trust me, the finale is well worth it.

Games

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – Nintendo Switch
I’ve been playing this here and there when I have time to devote to it. It is one that I missed upon initial release, and this remaster makes me hope that Nintendo has plans for future remasters. Especially Twilight Princess. I have just assembled the Triforce and have to pursue Ghirahim toward the final confrontation.

I’m also patiently waiting for Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to release.

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.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

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