Welcome to my second post on a new category I like to call, “Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches” In this series, I will discuss the latest TV show, movie, podcast, or other media content that I finished watching. I just finished watching Iron Fist which has had a lot of Marvel fans talking and posting online.

Iron Fist centers around Danny Rand (played by Finn Jones) who becomes a trained warrior titled the Iron Fist after his parent’s plane crash in the Himalayas. After 15 years he returns to modern New York and is quickly shocked to find that the Hand (the terrorist organization that is the sworn enemy of the Iron Fist) has infiltrated Rand Enterprises/Danny’s company. The show tells Danny’s story as he takes back his company and uncovers what happened to his parents.

To make this post easier to read, I decided to put bullet points for my initial thoughts on the show. Another reminder that there will be spoilers after this paragraph. 

• Finn Jones did an okay job being Iron Fist, but I think it would have been really cool if Marvel added diversity to the cast of the Defenders and cast an Asian American actor.
• Ward Meachum is a jerk in the beginning.
• Wow, Faramir is a bad guy and is portraying an evil dad, how ironic.
• Iron Fist does a better job explaining the back story of the Hand than Daredevil Season #2.
• I was shocked that Colleen ended up being a part of the Hand, I wasn’t expecting that. It goes to show how you can be so devoted to a cause without really understanding what you pledged yourself to.
• Iron Fist goes at a slower pace than the other Marvel Netflix shows
• Colleen Wing was my favorite character in the show along with Ward Meachum.
• I felt bad for Joy Meachum because I feel she didn’t get the character development that she deserved.
• This show isn’t mediocre because of Donald Trump’s presidency (Finn Jones blamed the show for being bad because of Trump being elected as president)

As for ranking the Marvel Netflix superheroes, Iron Fist is my least favorite. I don’t think the show was horrible like other reviewers stated, but it definitely has its weak moments. I will say that I was disappointed because I had high hopes for the show. I’m still excited for the Defenders, but if Iron Fist does receive a second season, I hope it will be better in quality.

Last weekend the boyfriend came back home after visiting his parents all week. Once we were back, me and the boyfriend went out on a date night and saw Logan. To prepare for Logan, we have been rewatching all the X-Men movies in chronological order. Surprisingly, the X-Men are the group of superheroes I know the least about. For someone who doesn’t know a lot about X-Men/Wolverine, I enjoyed the grittier take on Wolverine’s story.

Logan (played again by Hugh Jackman) is aging as his healing factor is failing him. As he takes care of Xavier (played by Patrick Stewart), Logan is asked to help escort Laura (played by Dafne Keen) to safety. Logan is astounded when he sees that Laura displays similar powers and it’s confirmed by Xavier that Laura was created from Logan’s DNA. Logan feels personally responsible for Laura and dedicates himself to making sure she’s safe.

For an R-Rated Wolverine movie, this does feel more violent than the other movies that Wolverine is a part of. I wouldn’t equate it to Deadpool as I do think Deadpool is more gory and inappropriate. Hugh Jackman doesn’t disappoint as he embodies Logan and the tragedies that he carries with him. Without spoilers, I do think this is a fitting ending to Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of the character.

Logan was a loving tribute to Hugh Jackman who played this role for almost two decades. I’m curious as to whether or not Laura will take over the franchise and how this movie will relate to the other X-Men movies.

I used to watch more movies than TV shows. Moving to college I found that my free time was cut into shorter chunks of time. I had plenty of time in that time slot for a 40-minute episode. I’m always looking for a new show to watch and thanks to Netflix and Amazon Prime, I have access to quality content. The Following sparked my interest because when the first season aired, I heard it was a thrilling show with dark characters. I gave it a watch on Netflix and soon enough the first season was finished. Yesterday, I watched the last episode of season three which was the series finale since The Following was canceled. I liked the show, so I’m sad to see that the show wasn’t renewed.

The Following opens with Ryan Hardy (played by Kevin Bacon) a famed FBI agent pouring vodka into his flask. He arrested literature professor Joe Carroll (played by James Purefoy) for killing numerous young college women. He had been killing for some time, but Ryan was the only one who found out about his secret. Joe sees Ryan as his equal, someone who has the intelligence to keep up with his games. Joe doesn’t stay in prison for long and it’s revealed that he escapes, but has a league of followers who will kill for him. The first season revolves around Ryan trying to capture Joe’s cult members and stop Joe from committing more heinous crimes.

The relationship that Ryan and Joe have is what makes the Following a hit series. They have great chemistry together in their respective episodes. Season one goes by quick because every episode leaves off on a cliffhanger. Season two focused less on Joe, but on a new cult leader with her adopted children, although Joe appears in the season quite frequently, he isn’t the main character. I do like the introduction of Max Hardy (played by Jessica Stroup), Ryan’s niece as a new protagonist in the show. Season three was my least favorite of all the seasons. Joe doesn’t take front and center, and there’s this group led by someone named Eliza. I don’t know what she was trying to accomplish because the series ended.

It’s unfortunate that The Following was canceled, but after watching season three, I can respect why it was. If you enjoy FBI dramas/detective shows and want something that’s exciting to watch, The Following should go on your list.

I miss the Saturday mornings as a kid when I could watch cartoons. Me and my brother would sit on the couch with our bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and watch multiple shows. Cartoons have a soft spot in my heart because of how much joy one cartoon could give me. I just wanted to briefly share a few cartoons that made Saturday mornings worth getting up for.

Rugrats 

There are days when I truly miss this show. I loved Chucky and his relationship with his dad, Tommy, and his ultimate dinosaur toy; Reptar, and Angelica’s truly epic schemes with the babies. Plus the spin-off movies were actually pretty decent. I think I have the VHS tape of the Rugrats Going to Paris somewhere in my house.

The Peanuts Specials 

I’m very biased when it comes to my love of the Peanuts because Charles Schultz is a native Minnesotan. I love all of the Peanuts holiday specials and I watch them live whenever they air on TV.

Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy 

Cartoon Network had some pretty twisted cartoons back in the day including the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. Me and my brother loved this show despite what my parents thought. There’s aloof Billy who is the comedic relief, realistic and pessimistic Mandy and of course the Grim who barely puts up with the two kids. Endless laughs came from each episode of this show.

Scooby Doo 

Finally, I can’t forget to mention Scooby Doo. Me and my neighbor would have sleepovers and watch all of the older episodes. I also would get up at 10:00 AM before my dad had to work to watch the daily episode that aired. I can’t pick a favorite character because I truly love them all. I also remember going to the library and picking up these Scooby Doo chapter books to read. Scooby Doo provided me with a lot of good memories.

What cartoons do you still watch? I would love to hear your cartoon memories in the comments!

I’m a sucker for every CW DC comics TV show. I started watching Arrow my freshman year of college in my dorm room after classes. The first season wasn’t my favorite, but when Deathstroke became a daunting opponent in season 2, I was hooked. Barry Allen entered the CW world helping to create spin-offs like The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl. I watched the first couple of episodes of Supergirl and quickly lost interest. However, since it’s moved to the CW, I decided I wanted to give it another shot. Supergirl is that underrated TV show on the CW that I used to dislike, but I’m slowly learning to enjoy it.

Supergirl is relatable because we have a female lead on a superhero TV show! Oliver, Barry, and Rip Hunter are badass characters, but I love that a female hero has her own show. Kara Danvers is awkward, caring, and straight-edged. She contemplates about what good versus evil truly means especially when she uncovers her Kryptonian family roots. Another interesting aspect of Supergirl is how the show handles controversial social topics. Xenophobia is brought up often on the show as to whether or not aliens belong on Earth. Xenophobia is so real in today’s society and a lot of that hatred did come from our newly elected president.

Also, can I just bring up the fact that I love Alex and Maggie together! They are a couple I was rooting for.

Supergirl is lighthearted, action-packed and a perfect fit for the CW. I love that little girl can watch this daily and see an awesome superhero. If you haven’t watched any of the DC CW TV shows, you’re really missing out. Start with Arrow and once the Flash is introduced then watch the Flash. Take a break with Supergirl and finally keep tuned with Legends of Tomorrow. Marvel may have their mighty superhero movie blockbusters, but it’s DC that wins the small screens.

A couple days ago, I was scrolling through Facebook and I saw that the Beauty & The Beast trailer dropped. I’m not a huge fan of Disney live-action remakes, but this movie is different. Beauty & the Beast is one of my favorite princess stories of my childhood and I wanted to briefly give my first thoughts.

Belle’s beautiful yellow dress is identical to the animated version. Belle is easily my favorite Disney princess. As a young reader, I would have loved to work at a library and shelve books all day. I admired Belle’s quest for constant knowledge and I thought Belle was sweet to everyone she interacted with.  The yellow dress is classic to the story and Emma Watson looks stunning.

Gaston is an interesting villain because his appearance isn’t intimidating, unlike Ursula or Jafar. His character disturbs me because of his beliefs which are shown when he makes snide remarks about Belle’s love of reading. Gaston sees women as his property and belonging only in the kitchen. He also thinks very low of Belle’s father who is seen as “eccentric” and “different”. I didn’t know this much about Gaston when I was young and watching the film, but now that I’m older, I can analyze how Gaston is portrayed as villainous. There are many people in the world today that think like him and that saddens me. Gaston is a scary dude and Luke Evans looks exactly like him.

Besides Belle and Gaston, I think the rest of the characters were really well cast. Rounding out the cast includes Emma Thompson, Ewan McGregor, Josh Gad, and Ian McKellen just to name a few. Everyone starring in this movie is really talented and I’m a huge fan of Emma Thompson.

Even if Beauty & the Beast isn’t your favorite Disney movie, I feel that it’s important to watch the trailer. Also, I heard a rumor that Belle is supposed to be an inventor so it’s going to be more modern than the original story. If that doesn’t intrigue you, I don’t know what will. Emma Watson is probably my favorite actress of all time, so I will watch anything with her in it, including this beautiful retelling of a childhood story.

After discovering Doctor Who in the Summer of 2014, I became a devoted fan girl. The Doctor is egotistical and eccentric while the companions keep him grounded throughout time. I also think Doctor Who tackles societal issues such as xenophobia and racism. As I wondered what I wanted to blog about, I decided to talk about my appreciation for Martha and how amazing she is as a companion.

She Tackles Racism like a Boss 

A great episode in her series is Human Nature. In this episode, a woman confronts Martha saying that a woman of color cannot be a doctor, however, Martha puts her in her place. It’s sad that the Doctor takes her back to a time when she needs to do this, but Martha is strong, snarky, and able to hold her own.

She’s in Blink which is One of the Best Doctor Who episodes. 

Blink is an episode that’s a good first episode to show non-Whovian. Martha doesn’t have a huge role in this episode, but still, this goes to show how Martha’s episodes were pretty great.

I think one of the many reasons why Martha is disliked is because of the way her character was written. Rose had just left and the writers wanted Martha to be this new romantic interest for the Doctor. Well, the Doctor wasn’t over Rose clearly and so Martha was made to be this woman pining for a man she couldn’t have. How disappointing. Martha had a lot of bright and shining moments as a companion but still couldn’t get over her crush on the Doctor.

If you’re not a fan of Martha, I encourage you to give her another shot. I think you will be mesmerized by what she is capable of and how she’s a great role model to women of all ages. Martha, you deserved better.

Fun fact, I’m not a huge fairy tale person. Sure, I loved the Lion King and The Little Mermaid when I was younger, but I wouldn’t consider Disney a huge fandom of mine. As I finish Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Netflix, I had some extra time to devote to watching more TV. My friend is currently watching Grimm and she wanted someone else to watch the show. I figured, why not? Though if fairy tales aren’t exactly my thing, would I even like this show to begin with? After finishing season #1 yesterday, I wish that I had given Grimm a viewing earlier.

Grimm is set in Portland, Oregon. I have never been to Portland, but this show makes it seem like this would be a fun place to live. Being able to camp constantly in the serene forest or having a hot cup of coffee at a quirky coffee shop is appealing to me. Portland is on my bucket list of travel destinations all thanks to Grimm. 

I digress. Grimm starts with introducing Nick Burkhardt and his girlfriend Juliette. Mary, Nick’s aunt, arrives in town randomly and describes to Nick that his ancestors were Grimms who fought various monsters. Nick can see monsters phase from humans into their other species which is terrifying. When this ability arises, Nick meets Monroe, a vegetarian blutbad/werewolf. Throughout Nick’s experiences, Nick and Monroe grow closer as Monroe helps Nick understand his heritage. The show’s drama comes from Nick’s split duties as a cop and a Grimm while also hiding this secret from the force and Juliette. Maintaining a friendship with a werewolf is also dramatic.

What I truly love about Grimm is the realistic aspect of storytelling. Fairy Tales are quite dark and I like that Grimm doesn’t skip the gruesome elements. These creatures that exist in Nick’s world are beings that deserve to be feared. In season #1 Nick came across: gargoyles, dragon related fire beings and sadistic spiders. Also just wait until you watch the Cinderella-themed episode. . .

Finally, Nick and Monroe’s bromance is adorable. I love their friendship so much! Monroe is intelligent, patient and the caring person that Nick needs to guide him through all of this lore. Nick also compliments Monroe because he utilizes his help, but also uses his knowledge to protect Monroe from the blutbad’s enemies.

As far as spoilers go, I have only seen season #1 so please do not give me spoilers! 🙂 Give me two weeks though and I should have most of the seasons viewed.