I’m still making my way through Vox Machina, Critical Role’s first campaign. I’m on episode #74 right now, which means I have 40 episodes left to watch. It’s been going by fast despite the fact that it’s taken me a year and a half to get to this point. In one of the latest episodes I watched, Percy (played by Taliesin Jaffe) disclosed his feelings to Vex’ahlia (played by Laura Bailey) by kissing her. I was so excited! This was a ship that was drawn out, so it was satisfying to see their characters get together.

One of the beautiful things about Critical Role is the way the characters grow. Percy’s backstory is rather tragic, as most of his family was killed by the Briarwoods. Percy’s whole focus is vengeance and forcing those responsible to pay for their actions. In certain instances, Percy is blinded by this, and the only one who can bring him out is Vex’ahlia. Vex’ahlia is a perfect foil to Percy as she helps him realize he isn’t alone in this world.

While the kiss was a huge deal, Percy and Vex’ahlia had other sweet moments that led to this moment. Vex’ahlia struggles with fitting in as she is treated as less than by her family since she’s a half-elf. Percy does come from nobility, and he tells Vex’ahlia, “I’ve known a lot of people with money, and they are definitely not worth you.” My heart was so happy.

I have no regrets about starting Critical Role from the very beginning. While it’s a lot of content to get through, the characters make it worth it. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Percy and Vex’s relationship as I continue through the episodes.

Major Spoilers of Doctor Strange – Be Advised

I finally made time to see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This film had elements of horror in it, which I loved. It felt like a different film from other Marvel films, which I thought made the film stand out. Instead of writing a typical movie review, I wanted to focus on Scarlet Witch and the direction the film took the character. There’s no way to do this without revealing spoilers, so please be advised.

The last time we saw Scarlet Witch / Wanda Maximoff (played by Elizabeth Olsen) was in WandaVision. She seemed to accept her role in Westview and how she let everyone go. It seemed she was going to confront her grief. I wanted this for her! Wanda has been through so much and deserves happiness. There was an after-credit sequence showing Wanda discovering a magic book, hinting that something more sinister was going to happen.

With the first few scenes of Doctor Strange, I was quickly made aware that I was wrong. Scarlet Witch was using the Darkhold to send monsters after America Chavez (played by Xochitl Gomez) to steal her power and live with her children in another universe. Wanda has absolutely no problem with killing America to gather her power because Wanda feels that she has earned the right to be with her children. As a side note, Elizabeth Olsen’s acting was superb! She conveyed real emotion, and while I rooted for her in WandaVision, I wanted to see her be defeated in Doctor Strange.

I’m sad that the film took Wanda in this direction. As mentioned above, I wanted to see her evolve and grow as a character. Instead, it seemed that she completely retreated from the growth seen in WandaVision. I was surprised that none of the other characters thought to ask Wanda, “What would Vision think of you doing this?” While Wanda is motivated by seeing her children, there is no way Vision would support any of what Wanda was doing. I’m surprised that Stephen or Wong never brought this up. It may not have stopped Wanda’s actions, but I hoped it would at least force Wanda to confront her grief. It seemed that Doctor Strange left WandaVision in the dust, which is so sad! WandaVision is easily one of my favorite Marvel series on Disney+

While I may not have agreed with Doctor Strange and Wanda’s direction, I still enjoyed the film. The horror elements, along with the guest appearances, were enough to create a fun experience seeing this film in theaters. The next Marvel film to be released is Thor: Love and Thunder in July, and I’m excited to see how Natalie Portman is reintroduced into the Marvel cinematic universe.

Do you ever have those moments where you think to yourself, “Has it really been that long”? One of those moments happened to me a week ago. I was watching a YouTube video where someone was saying that The Avengers came out ten years ago. I almost didn’t believe it. Sure enough, I looked it up, and The Avengers was released on May 4th, 2012. I can’t believe it’s been ten years since The Avengers was released in theaters.

Four years ago, I wrote a post on Bizarre Brunette about why The Avengers film means so much to me. I won’t repeat myself too much except to say that The Avengers was a major factor in why I started reading comics. It makes me think that I have been reading comics full-time for almost a decade, which is mind-boggling to me.

When I reminisce about my love for The Avengers, I think back to my freshman year of college. In my dorm room, I had two Hawkeye posters. I remember hanging them on my wall. This leads me into the line of thinking where it’s been ten years since my freshman year of college and my high school graduation. There’s been so much change in my life from 2012 to 2022.

Without getting too off-topic, I was thrown off by The Avengers being released ten years ago. Let me know in the comments if you have felt something similar, where you’re thrown by how long it’s been since either a movie, TV show, or something happened in your life that was rather significant.

I miss the days of watching the Netflix Marvel TV series, including Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. Iron Fist wasn’t my favorite, but it still set up The Defenders. I liked that this series tackled adult themes and how it felt like a departure from the Marvel franchise. With Moon Knight releasing on Disney+, I was looking forward to seeing a darker show. Moon Knight is entertaining, and I hope that there will be a second season.

Moon Knight is as close as Marvel has come to re-creating Batman. Marc Specter is a mercenary who teams up with Raoul Bushman to work together on various jobs. Bushman gets greedy and kills a famed archeologist. Specter tries to stop him, but Bushman leaves him to die. As Specter dies, he’s left on the Khonshu statue, where Khonshu gives him a second chance. This leaves Marc with incredible powers, a god manipulating his every move, and balancing his multiple personalities with his DID diagnosis (dissociative identity disorder).

The show picks up with Steven Grant (played by Oscar Isaac), who is fascinated by Egyptian culture and works in a museum in London. Steven is one of Marc’s alters and is perceived as being the naive alter. Steven wakes up in another country holding a scarab with no memory of how he got there. As Steven flees, he runs into a ceremony being performed by Arthur Harrow (played by Ethan Hawke). Arthur worships the god, Ammit. Arthur’s goal is to summon Ammit and punish people before crimes are committed, while Khonshu is all about delivering justice after the fact. Khonshu warns Marc that if Ammit is summoned, this could lead to the deaths of a lot of people who may or may not deserve it. Marc teams up with his wife, Layla El-Faouly (played by May Calamawy), to stop Arthur before it’s too late.

Oscar does an excellent job of portraying Marc and Steven. Oscar mentions how he developed a separate accent for Steven, so it would feel different. I’m not sure if Oscar’s performance plays on the harmful stereotypes of DID. That’s not my lived experience, so I can’t speak to that. From my experience watching Moon Knight, I feel that Oscar truly becomes Marc and Moon Knight.

Besides Marc, I love Layla. In the comics, Marc marries Marlene, and Marlene’s father is the archeologist murdered by Bushman. I read that Layla was created to be a live-action version of Marlene from the comics. The show changed Marlene to Layla to add diversity to the show. If that’s true, I’m all for it. May Calamawy is a great choice, and I feel she truly embodies this woman who will protect Marc because she loves him, but also has the trauma of losing her father violently. May and Oscar have this slow-burning romance together, and I’m here for it.

I was a little worried about how Moon Knight would wrap up. It seemed the final episode had a lot of ground to cover. The final episode was well worth the wait, and it doesn’t feel rushed. Unfortunately, Marvel posted on Facebook the day the episode aired and spoiled part of this episode before I could watch it. Shame on me for not avoiding social media. I would highly recommend watching this show in one sitting to prevent being spoiled.

Moon Knight is probably one of my favorite Marvel TV series released to date, besides WandaVision. Moon Knight can be streamed on Disney+ with new episodes airing on Wednesdays.

May 4th 2022, is almost a month out. Every May, I like to devote the entire month to Star Wars as a way to celebrate May 4th. I only watch Star Wars content, play Star Wars video games, and read Star Wars books and comics. I haven’t fully planned out this year’s Star Wars game plan, although I still wanted to share some Star Wars media or content that I’m most hyped about.

Obi-Wan Kenobi – May 27th 2022

As a big fan of the prequels, I’m absolutely pumped for this to drop on Disney+. This series will reunite Hayden Christiansen and Ewan McGregor as the opposite ends of the force. I watched this trailer and shivered because it brought back memories of the prequels. I’m ecstatic!

Star Wars Andor – Release Date Unknown

Rogue One is another Star Wars film that I adore. It shows the tragedy of war, sacrifice, and fighting for the greater good. Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) is a character who has suffered, and I think there’s more to him that’s worth revealing. I’m excited for this series to premiere. This is a series that has been a long time coming.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

I decided last minute that I was going to play this game. I wish I had pre-ordered it. The Deluxe copy was sold out everywhere, so I had to settle on the standard copy, which included the game only. I played LEGO Star Wars last year on my PC, and I ended up not finishing it as I don’t have a gaming computer, so I felt the game lagged at times. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga includes the new Star Wars films, but also makes this game more open-world. There are a ton of missions, collectibles, and characters to unlock. I was going to wait until May to play this, but I couldn’t resist playing it now.

I’m looking forward to next month! In a week or two, I plan on scouring through my Goodreads TBR for Star Wars books I still have left to read, along with taking a trip to my local comic book store for Star Wars comics. May the 4th be with you!

When Robert Pattinson was cast as Batman, I felt the casting choice was surprising. I wouldn’t have picked Robert as my first choice to play Batman. I have been skeptical about casting decisions before, but I have always kept my opinions to myself until a trailer is released. Once the Batman trailer dropped, I was hooked. My husband and I went to see The Batman last week, and it was amazing! I’m so glad I kept an open mind because Robert Pattinson is one of my favorite portrayals of Batman to date.

The Batman takes place in the first few years of Bruce donning the Batman persona. He has physically prepared for the job, yet he still has a lot to learn. Batman (played by Robert Pattinson, as hinted above) is called to a crime scene by James Gordon (played by Jeffrey Wright). From what they can gather, a serial killer is targeting Gotham’s elite, and once he disposes of them, he exposes these individuals as being morally corrupt. This killer has the same goals as Batman but is not afraid to kill. As Batman investigates this killer, he gets entangled with Selina Kyle (played by Zoe Kravitz) as Selina is looking for her missing friend. Batman has to juggle between protecting Gotham, exposing the corruption, and living his double life as Bruce Wayne.

As mentioned above, Robert Pattinson does an excellent job of playing Batman. With Christian Bale’s performance, he capitalized on the “Playboy” persona of Bruce Wayne. Robert portrays Bruce as a millionaire in the shadows who seems uncomfortable being Bruce Wayne in public. I felt this was a more authentic take on the character. As Batman, Robert is an intimidating presence, along with providing his intelligence in being the world’s greatest detective. Besides Robert, the whole cast in this movie did an excellent job. Zoe’s portrayal of Catwoman was so good. Robert and Zoe’s chemistry was on fire throughout the whole movie. There was flirty banter between them, along with a bond being formed after Bruce prevents Selina from killing someone from her past. By the end of the film, Bruce has a growing respect for Selina and seems to miss her as she leaves Gotham. Jeffrey Wright fully embodied Jim Gordon, and Colin Firth was unrecognizable as Penguin. Last, but not least, Paul Dano’s take on the Riddler was realistic, as I think the Riddler is often a villain whom people make fun of.

The cinematography in this film is haunting. The way Gotham is portrayed as a vibrant city with a criminal underworld. There are several sequences that are shot beautifully. There’s a scene where Batman is fighting several men, and the room is completely dark. The only light comes from the men shooting their assault weapons. It reminded me of the Daredevil stair fight scene in Marvel’s Daredevil. From the trailer, there’s a moment where Batman steps out of the Batmobile with flames in the background, walking to a flipped car. Seeing this scene on the big screen was so worth it.

The Batman is accompanied by a terrific movie score. The main song used in both the trailer and whenever Batman has a major moment is addictive. I have been listening to the score non-stop since seeing the film.

The Batman was everything I could have wanted from a DC film. The Batman reminds me of the Batman Arkham Asylum video game series in a movie form. My husband and I can’t wait to see this movie again.

I mentioned in my previous post that my husband is enjoying the Peacemaker spin-off show on HBO Max. For those unfamiliar, Peacemaker was first featured in last year’s DC romp, The Suicide Squad. Directed by James Gunn, The Suicide Squad introduced Peacemaker (played by John Cena), a character obsessed with maintaining global peace, who would kill anyone to achieve this. Shortly after The Suicide Squad was released, it was announced that Peacemaker would be getting his own series. When I originally heard this, I wasn’t interested. Peacemaker wasn’t the member of The Suicide Squad that stood out to me the most. My husband badgered me to watch the series with him and give it a chance. I’m glad he did because Peacemaker is such a fun, dark, and witty show.

The show begins with Peacemaker (real name: Christopher Smith) waking up in the hospital after the battle in The Suicide Squad. He makes his way back to his father’s house to pick up his pet bald eagle, Eagly. As Peacemaker tries to resume his normal life, he’s confronted by A.R.G.U.S agents who need his help with “Project Butterfly”. As more information is disclosed to Peacemaker throughout his mission, he realizes this is serious and could lead to an alien invasion if “Project Butterfly” isn’t stopped.

John Cena delivers his lines in a way that’s impossible not to laugh. Joining Peacemaker is his ally, Vigilante (played by Freddie Stroma). Vigilante is another comic relief; however, his lines are delivered in a dark way as Vigilante kills everyone and shows no remorse for his actions. If you’re not a fan of dark humor, this show is not for you.

The A.R.G.U.S agents create this cohesive team as everyone has a role to fill. There’s Emilia Harcourt (played by Jennifer Holland) who’s the combat-heavy character. She’s a hard shell to crack; however, as the episodes have continued, it’s clear Peacemaker is starting to grow on her. Besides Emilia, there’s Leota Adebayo (played by Danielle Brooks), who offers humility to the team. She isn’t trained to kill and often struggles with making the tough choice. It’s a nice balance between her and Emilia. Technical support is provided by John Economos (played by Steve Agee), who has a big moment in the series with a chainsaw, which I won’t spoil. The team is well-balanced, and it’s been so fun to see them start to connect with each other.

I never thought I would say this, but Peacemaker has been an absolute blast. I went into watching this show thinking this was not going to be something I would like, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I hope Peacemaker gets a second season, as I’d like to see more Suicide Squad members make an appearance.

I don’t force myself to watch shows that I’m no longer interested in. I used to do this more frequently in college, but it took the joy out of watching TV. I found myself keeping track of certain series I love and noticed a pattern. There are shows where I watch certain seasons, and then I can’t bring myself to finish the series. It could be that the show took a weird turn, or the show lost its spark that kept me invested. I still consider myself a fan of these shows and wanted to list my favorite TV series, even though I won’t watch every episode.

Agents of Shield: Seasons #1 – #3

I loved the first few seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The cast had great chemistry together, and each character had something to bring to the team. I loved the chemistry between Jemma (played by Elizabeth Henstridge) and Fitz (played by Iain De Caestecker). The first few seasons were addictive, yet I found by the fourth season, my interest in the show declined. I have re-watched Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. at least twice, and I can never seem to finish the series.

Scandal: Seasons #1 – #4

Scandal is another show where I gave up watching after finishing season four. I felt Olivia Pope (played by Kerry Washington) and President Fitzgerald Grant (played by Tony Goldwyn) were such a good couple early on, but then it felt like they were playing games with each other in later seasons. They either need to be committed to each other or break up. Scandal also went in a different direction than what I was looking for. The first few seasons of Scandal are great TV, but I just can’t finish it.

24: Seasons #1 – #5

24 follows Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) agent Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland), who helps prevent terrorist attacks on the US. The first five seasons were thrilling to watch. There were great plot twists, and each of the CTU agents was interesting to follow. Season five was a gut punch with the death of some major characters, including former President Palmer (played by Dennis Haysbert), Michelle Dessler (played by Reiko Aylesworth), and Tony Almeida (played by Carlos Bernard). I remember feeling so heartbroken over their deaths. This was one of the first TV moments where I had attachments to these characters, so when they died, it was shocking. After season five, there were some weird moments. I pretend the other seasons of 24 don’t exist, and it’s only seasons #1 – #5.

What shows have you started and haven’t been able to finish? Let me know in the comments below!