The release of Star Wars The Acolyte seems to have caused a stir on social media. I’m seeing a flood of comments online about how fans miss when Star Wars wasn’t own by Disney along with the vitriol of fans commenting that The Acolyte isn’t good. As a Star Wars fan, I’m always looking forward to new additions to the galaxy and creating new stories across the timeline. I watched the first two episode of The Acolyte and I liked them. I don’t know if The Acolyte will be my all-time favorite Star Wars series, but I am curious to see how the series unfolds.

Spoilers For The Acolyte Below

The Acolyte takes place in The High Republic era, approximately 100 years before The Phantom Menace. The show opens with Master Indara (played by Carrie-Ann Moss) who is approached by a mysterious figure later to be revealed as Mae (played by Amandla Stenberg). After an intense combat, Indara is killed by Mae after trying to save a patron in the bar. The episode cuts to Osha (played again by Amandla Stenberg), who is approached by Jedi as she was seen at the scene of the crime. Osha protests her innocence, but is arrested. She escapes captivity and realizes her twin, Mae, is still alive and is responsible for these crimes. Meanwhile, Master Sol (played by Lee Jung-jae) is sent to investigate and capture Osha and bring her in for questioning. Sol has a personal connection to the case as he was Osha’s former master. Throughout the first two episodes, Sol is joined by Yord Fandar (played by Charlie Barnett) and Jecki Lon (played by Dafne Keen) to find Osha and understand why she is going after the Jedi.

I will say the obvious, I am bummed to see that Master Indara was killed in the first episode. I mentioned in my The Acolyte – First Thoughts post how excited I was to see that Carrie-Ann Moss was a part of the cast. It makes sense now since the trailer didn’t feature her at any other time, but still, I was hoping she would have a bigger part. It’s too early to say because I’m assuming there will be flashbacks in the later episodes. From a story perspective, I was not expecting the twin aspect with Osha and Mae. I figured Amandla would be a villain serving an evil master, I didn’t think she would be good. I think Yord is going to be an interesting charcter. He seems to have this arrogance to him which I think makes sense as the Jedi were powerful at that time. With the first two episodes, I think there’s enough intrigue to keep me invested. I’m curious to see how Mae’s revenge plays out and who she is serving. It seems like she doesn’t even know who her master is.

I wanted to focus on Master Sol. Sol reminds me of Qui-Gon Jinn. I think Sol believes in the good that the Jedi can bring, but he also seems to have this objective view as well. He will disagree with the orders he’s given and he also clearly has emotional ties to both Indara and Osha. It sounds like Sol saved Osha, but not Mae, so is he feeling guilty for that? What happened the night he met Osha? I think Sol is going to be a strong character in this series.

While I liked the first two episodes, fans have been divided when it comes to recent Star Wars projects. I wanted to first address something that’s been circulating online. There’s an interview with Charlie Barnett where he says that, “If you can’t look and see that Anakin blowing up the Death Star possibly killed millions and millions of people”. From A New Hope, we know Luke blew up the Death Star. I have seen fans mock Charlie online for being incorrect with his knowledge of Star Wars. If an actor decides to play a role in a geeky franchise, are they responsible for knowing everything about said franchise? or can actors simply be actors? I already know what you may be thinking, saying Anakin blew up the Death Star is a pretty egregious and incorrect fact. Sure, but does that warrant fans going after him? It’s not an excuse to justify online harassment.

Besides Charlie’s comment, he isn’t the first actor to either say something incorrect or comment on their experience with Star Wars. It’s no secret that Alec Guinness didn’t like Obi-Wan’s dialogue and wanted to be killed off in the movie. Harrison Ford has shown a saltier attitude to Star Wars as well. While it’s cool to see someone like Henry Cavill express their fandoms, I don’t think all actors need to do this unless it’s their hobby.

While I liked The Acolyte, there’s nothing wrong with not liking a show or a movie. I think it boils down to, are you sharing your opinion to open a conversation? or are you spreading negativity when one person decides to say that they like something. There’s nothing more annoying than someone saying how much they like something only to receive negative comments. I do plan on writing recap posts every few episodes to discuss the series, share theories, and provide context as to what this means for The High Republic.

Critical Role dropped some major news to fans as they launched their own streaming service. Beacon will be Critical Role’s streaming service where fans can subscribe to unlock exclusive content and discounts on future merchandise. When I found out about Beacon, I activated my free trial. I wanted to share my initial thoughts about Beacon and whether the cost is worth it.

Before Beacon‘s launch, I was watching Critical Role on YouTube since I didn’t have Twitch. While watching on YouTube works, there is a delay between when Critical Role streams their episodes and when the episodes are available to watch on YouTube. Their main campaign streams on Thursdays late at night and I don’t have the bandwidth to stay up till midnight to watch the full episode as it airs. Additionally, YouTube has ads every thirty minutes which lengthens the time it takes to watch an episode of Critical Role. With Beacon, I can watch each episode with no ads and the episodes will be available immediately. For me, this has made watching Critical Role so much easier.

With Beacon, Critical Role created its own Discord server for fans to connect. The Discord alone is worth the monthly cost of Beacon. When I signed up for the trial, there were about 6,000 members, now it’s up to almost 12,500 people in Discord. I have talked to several other fans about other TTRPG systems, cosplay, and other geeky interests that expand beyond Critical Role. It’s been a great way to connect with the fandom and chat with others with similar interests.

While I do like Beacon, I do want to be up front about some bugs I experienced recently. The first is Beacon didn’t keep track of where I left off on an episode. Since Critical Role‘s episodes are hours long, it’s annoying to have to remember what time stamp I left off on. I will say that this has been fixed on my end and is no longer an issue for me. Another thing I noticed was how there isn’t a progress bar on each episode. For example, when I log into Disney+, there’s a purple bar below the episode showing me that I finished watching the episode. To my knowledge, I’m not seeing this within Beacon. As a completionist, I like being able to see progress in what I’m watching. I hope that this is fixed in the future.

The big question is whether Beacon is worth the cost. I think it boils down to how big of a Critical Role fan you are. I think Beacon is worth it because it gives me access to all of Critical Role’s content including Candela Obscura. If you’re a casual Critcal Role fan or the idea of adding a streaming service is cumbersome, I don’t think you would be missing out by skipping Beacon. I am happy for Critical Role as I think this is a big step for them and I’m excited to be included as a fan.

As part of my May 4th plan, I mentioned how I wanted to finish watching Star Wars Rebels. I’m halfway through the show as I finished season #2 last weekend. I love Rebels and have quickly grown attached to the characters, Lothal, and seeing them succeed against the Empire. Chopper is one of my favorite droids in Star Wars. I wanted to share a few of my favorite moments from the series thus far. There will be slight spoilers for both season #1 and season #2 of Rebels.

Let’s start with Chopper because why not? Chopper is murderous, chaotic, and sassy. While most droids I would argue are Lawful Good, I’d rate Chopper Neutral Good or Chaotic Good. Chopper has killed people and will defend his friends. I think Chopper serves as a good contrast and adds something different to the other droids in Star Wars. In the episode The Forgotten Droid, Chopper is separated from the rest of the group after seeing a replacement for one of his legs. He ends up being sequestered on a ship where he meets AP-5. AP-5 originally wanted to turn Chopper into the Empire, but they became friends. At the end of the episode, AP-5 is injured by an Imperial officer leading to a touching moment between AP-5 and Chopper. Don’t mind me getting emotional in a children’s Star Wars series. This episode was great to watch because it shows how Chopper can survive on his own and how he has empathy for others.

While I spent a whole paragraph talking about Chopper, I think the other characters are interesting. There’s Kanan, a former Jedi whose master was killed in Order 66. Hera, a fighter pilot from Ryloth, joined the Rebellion which caused tension with her father who was focused on freeing Ryloth. Sabine Wren, a former Mandalorian who always seems to have more than enough explosives on her person. Zeb, a Lasat guard who was recruited by the rebellion. Finally, there’s Ezra, who joins the team in the pilot episode as he tries to steal from them while on Lothal. All the characters have their moments to shine in the various episodes.

The last thing I wanted to touch on was Ahsoka’s appearance in the show. I knew Ahsoka was in Rebels, but I didn’t realize how big of a role she would play. I finished watching the episode where Ahsoka realizes Vader is Anakin. How heartbreaking! Ahsoka was going to find out one way or another, but it doesn’t make the moment any less devastating. In the last two episodes of season #2 when Ahsoka, Kanan, and Ezra are looking for the Sith Holocron, I think those two episodes were arguably the best episodes of the series to date. The fact that Maul reappears, uses Ezra, and blinds Kanan, wtf!!! I can’t believe none of that was spoiled for me and I’m glad it wasn’t. It still came as a shock. Ahsoka and Maul have such a fascinating dynamic and I didn’t realize they would be reunited on the show.

Star Wars Rebels has been fun to watch and I’m intrigued as to how the rest of the series will progress and add to Star Wars lore.

Trying to get caught up on Critical Role is a daunting task. I finished Vox Machina last year and started watching Mighty Nein, Critical Role’s second campaign. In between watching Candela Obscura and Critical Role’s Daggerheart content, I needed to take breaks due to burnout. Since I have now gotten back into watching Mighty Nein, I wanted to share my initial thoughts about the story, the characters, and my overall thoughts on the campaign thus far.

I’m currently on episode #18 which doesn’t feel that far into the campaign, but I think it’s safe to say that I’m already picking or gravitating towards a few of the characters. I think the standout characters for me are Fjord, Jester, and Caleb. Fjord (played by Travis Willingham) is such a departure from Grog in the best way. I recently watched the moment where Matthew Mercer guided the players out of the room, so Fjord could have a moment to himself. He swallowed his own sword and I’m sitting here watching it all play out in shock. I am curious as to how Fjord’s story unfolds. Jester (played by Laura Bailey) is such a delight. I think she brings such levity to the table. Clerics seem to have stereotypes associated with that class and Jester kind of blows everything out of proportion which I adore. Laura seems so happy to play Jester and I think it’s fun to watch. With Caleb (played by Liam O’Brien), he has the personality of a Wizard. He is focused on learning new spells and the way that Liam describes Caleb’s spell casting is so descriptive. While Fjord, Jester, and Caleb are my favorites thus far, I am curious to see how the other characters interact amongst themselves.

As far as the story, I am not sure if Mighty Nein has a story arc going on right now. I think what makes Mighty Nein different than Vox Machina is Mighty Nein is all shown from the beginning whereas Vox Machina is a home game that transitioned into videos. As such, it feels like Mighty Nein doesn’t have story arcs since each character’s back story needs to be revealed and the characters are getting to know each other. It’s clear certain things are important (Mollymauk being called Lucien), but I don’t exactly know what the Mighty Nein are doing at this point in time. It’s not a bad thing, it feels more casual versus having a set list of tasks that need to be done which Vox Machina follows more of that format.

From what I have watched, I like that Mighty Nein has a darker magic feel to the story. The fact that the campaign began at a carnival set the tone for the campaign which I find interesting. I think Mighty Nein is more chaotic in a lot of ways which has been a blast to see how these plans work out. I feel excited to continue each episode because I think the cast seems excited to be playing their characters and there’s enough going on where I don’t want to be left on a cliffhanger.

I’m curious to see how Mighty Nein continues. I have been spoiled by certain events that happen and I know I’m getting close to one of them. However, it doesn’t take away the joy of watching Critical Role. With every episode watched, I’m getting closer to being caught up on all things Critical Role.

I don’t know about you, but I love all the Star Wars series on Disney+. I particularly liked Andor and The Mandalorian, but even Obi-Wan Kenobi appealed to my fondness for the prequels. I heard rumblings about The Acolyte but didn’t know much about the series except for the fact that it takes place before Phantom Menace. Like many others, I immediately saw the trailer drop on Instagram and I had to watch it. I think The Acolyte will be an interesting addition to the Star Wars universe.

The Acolyte trailer opens in a Jedi temple with younglings being asked “What comes into your mind”. One youngling answers, “I see fire” The music drastically changes leading into a hand-to-hand combat sequence between Carrie Ann Moss and I believe Amandla Stenberg. I loved the moment when Carrie Ann Moss used the force to stop the blade. I think it’s neat to be able to see different types of fighting scenes that aren’t just with lightsabers. Throughout The Acolyte trailer, it’s hinted that someone is hunting Jedi, but no one seems to know why. The trailer ends with a red lightsaber being thrown through the trees and Jedi being blown off their feet by an unknown force.

I think for me, the number one reason that I’m looking forward to The Acolyte is the period it takes place. We have seen a lot of Star Wars content after the prequels, but nothing before. It’s interesting seeing the Jedi in this type of role where they are the detectives investigating who is targeting them and for what purpose. I am curious as to what will be revealed about the Sith. Is this the Sith that’s coming after the Jedi? or is there another group that’s seeking out Sith power and for what purpose.

The cast of The Acolyte is stellar. I know many have been fans of Carrie-Ann Moss from The Matrix, but I recognize Carrie Ann Moss from Memento and Jessica Jones. Rounding out the cast, there’s Amandla Stenberg, Dafne Keen, Manny Jacinto, and Lee Jung-jae. I’m not exactly sure what everyone is playing, so I think there’s a lot of intrigue there as far as whether their characters are good or evil.

While watching the trailer for The Acolyte, I couldn’t help but read through the comments. The comments are overwhelmingly negative. I’m not going to address the comments specifically, but what I will say is that I find it sad that people are so quick to judge something without knowing much about it. I’m excited to see more in the Star Wars universe, so that’s why I’m looking forward to watching The Acolyte as the episodes premiere.

The Acolyte is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on June 4th.

When Prey first released on Hulu, I heard nothing, but good things about the movie. I was sick a few weeks ago, so I found plenty of time to sit on the couch, isolate, and watch movies. I wanted to watch Prey, but then I decided that I should just do a Predator marathon, so I could watch all the movies in the franchise which I think would make watching Prey that much better. Predator is a classic and I found it to still be enjoyable to watch years later.

For those who have never watched Predator, Predator stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Major Alan Dutch who is called into action along with his rescue team. Alan reunites with a former colleague, Al Dillon (Rest in Peace Carl Weathers!) who agrees to help assist. When Alan and his team investigate, they realize Al lied to them about their mission. In the meantime, a creature is shown in the trees, stalking Alan’s team. After killing Billy (played by Sonny Landham), Alan realizes they are being hunted and what’s hunting them may not be human.

I think there are a lot of reasons that Predator is still highly regarded, but I think what I like the most is how Predator capitalizes on the fear of the unknown. The idea that something is stalking their group and not feeling confident that this being is human, that’s scary. Combining that with being in unfamiliar territory and not being able to see the creature, it’s unsettling. I think the tone of the film changes when Blain Cooper (played by Jesse Ventura) is killed because the Predator’s plasma cannon is so powerful. While Predator is considered a sci-fi film, I think an argument can be made that Predator could be a horror film too.

Another thing that I liked about Predator was how all the characters stood out from each other. Alan is clearly the protagonist and the hero of the story. Al is shady but then ends up sacrificing himself to help Mac (played by Bill Duke). Speaking of Mac, I think his reactions to losing Blain are completely valid. Mac starts to lose it a bit and I thought that this was not only realistic but also added to the horror element of the film. I’d also argue that Rich Hawkins (played by Shane Black) was the wisest one in the group because he put it together first that whatever is stalking them might not be from Earth. I think it’s easy for a group of characters to blend together and come across as forgettable, but Predator doesn’t fall into that.

Watching Predator so many years later, I think it’s interesting. The first thing I always laugh at is how Jesse Ventura was once our governor which feels like such a Minnesotan thing to say, but I can’t help it. In many ways, Predator is a product of its time. There are a few slurs thrown in by some of Alan’s men and one of the men makes an off-color joke about going down on his girlfriend and her vagina. The script for Predator wouldn’t fly in today’s society, which I think shows how much we have grown. We still have a ways to go, but still.

I’m looking forward to watching the other Predator films because honestly, I don’t think I have seen any of them. Predator can be streamed to watch on Hulu.

No Hard Feelings generated a lot of buzz when it was released. It was Jennifer Lawrence’s first take in a raunchy comedy and there was significant conversation surrounding the age difference between Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman. I wasn’t able to see No Hard Feelings in theaters, but as soon as I saw it was available to watch on Netflix, I set aside time to watch it. No Hard Feelings was funny, but I don’t think I would go out of my way to watch it again.

No Hard Feelings focuses on Maddie Barker (played by Jennifer Lawrence) as she works as an Uber driver in Montauk, New York. She’s struggling to pay her mortgage for the beach house that her mom left her when she passed away. Maddie’s car is repossessed by her ex-fling Gary (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Maddie has to figure out a plan B since she can’t be an Uber driver without a car. Maddie meets Percy’s parents (played by Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti) through a Craigslist ad as they are looking for a woman to date Percy (played by Andrew Barth Feldman) and bring him outside of his shell before he goes off to college. In exchange, they will gift Maddie a car. Maddie gets to work at seducing Percy but finds that she starts to care about Percy. Percy challenges Maddie and Maddie reveals things to Percy that she kept buried. Percy eventually finds out about the deal and is hurt that Maddie would use him for her own gain. This forces Maddie to challenge some of the things that Percy has brought to light about herself.

I think the first thing that’s worth mentioning is that Jennifer Lawrence knocked this out of the park. It’s surprising to me that she hasn’t done much comedy before this. I thought this was raunchy and Jennifer seemed in her element. I would love to see Jennifer Lawrence in more comedies in the future. I think the chemistry between Jennifer and Andrew was also charming. By the end of the movie, it’s clear that they have developed a friendship even though they are at different points in their lives. I don’t know if I buy the fact that they will be friends forever, but they both had a significant impact on each other.

This brings me to the conversations that were had when No Hard Feelings was released. There is an age difference between Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman. Jennifer was in her 30s when this movie was filmed while Andrew was 20. I think the reason this was talked about so much was that Andrew looks younger than his actual age while Jennifer is clearly an adult. To be clear, I do not condone or support underage relationships because that is a crime. It’s why the movie Licorice Pizza gives me the ick. Licorice Pizza, for those who aren’t aware, is a movie that centers around the budding relationship between a 15-year-old boy and a 25-year-old woman. Notice how I say boy because a 15-year-old boy is a child versus a 25-year-old woman who is an adult. I do not care how well-acted Licorice Pizza is, it grosses me out. It’s not okay to romanticize this type of relationship and I don’t care about the genders that are involved. Anyone underage (regardless of gender) should not be in a romantic relationship with someone who is over the age of 18. I will say, that I didn’t get the same vibes with No Hard Feelings as I did with Licorice Pizza.

The other interesting thing about No Hard Feelings and the age gap is how this is flipped. It’s extremely common for male actors to be significantly older than female actors. The first movie that I thought of that fits this is For Your Eyes Only which was a Roger Moore Bond film. Roger Moore was 53 while Carole Bouquet (who played Bond’s love interest) was 24. That’s a 29-year age difference which is way more than the age difference in No Hard Feelings. Now granted, Carole Bouquet was in her mid-20s which I think feels a little farther away than 18, however, it’s still a large age gap. I think if we are going to have conversations about age gaps in movies, we absolutely should. These conversations should be created equal and if we are going to be upset about an older actress and a younger actor, we should also feel the same if it’s an older actor and a younger actress.

No Hard Feelings was funny and I’m glad I took the time to watch it. I don’t think the age difference ruined the movie by any means, but I think you could easily tell that Jennifer does look older than Andrew. It wasn’t my favorite romantic comedy, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

I have a lot of happy memories attached to Doctor Who. I started watching Doctor Who in college and it’s one of the first shows that me and my now husband watched together as a couple. Doctor Who was a show I would watch with my roommate at the time and we were fascinated by the adventures that The Doctor would have. I stopped watching Doctor Who sometime in Capaldi’s series and I haven’t had a chance to return to the show. I wanted to do a full rewatch, but that’s a huge commitment. When I heard that Disney+ would be carrying all the new episodes of Doctor Who going forward, I was ecstatic. I know there may be some mixed opinions about Disney+ right now, however, I feel that with Disney+ airing new episodes of Doctor Who, it might allow new fans to join the fandom. As part of this joint venture, the holiday special is live on Disney+, debuting Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor. I was impressed with Ncuti’s portrayal of The Doctor and I have high hopes for the new series.

The Church on Ruby Road opens with Ruby Sunday (played by Millie Gibson) being interviewed by television host, Davina McCall (played by Davina McCall herself). Ruby is partnering with Davina to help find her birth parents as Ruby was dropped off at a church as a baby. After the interview, Ruby experiences a bout of bad luck. Ruby’s foster mother, Carla, brings home a new baby, Lulubelle whom Ruby agrees to watch while Carla runs errands. While Lulubelle is under Ruby’s care, Lulubelle is kidnapped by goblins. Ruby rushes to help and meets The Doctor (played by Ncuti Gatwa) who also is chasing after the goblins. Ruby and The Doctor agree to work together to save Lulubelle and stop the goblins.

As far as companions go, I like Ruby. Ruby reminds me a lot of Rose (played by Billie Piper) who was a companion during both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant’s series. She’s caring, curious, and willing to dive into any sort of adventure. I think Ruby and The Doctor have good chemistry together as friends. I personally prefer the companions who serve as The Doctor’s equal to the companions who fall in love with The Doctor. Speaking of The Doctor, I like Ncuti’s portrayal of the character. He seems spunky, yet calculated as he plans out how to escape from the goblins. This is kind of a small thing to bring up, but I noticed that in the poster for Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road The Doctor’s nails are painted. I think that’s a nice touch. The Doctor is someone who is unique and stands out, so it’s nice to see The Doctor bend gender norms.

One thing that Doctor Who is known for is being heartfelt. This holiday special was no different. There’s a moment where The Doctor has to travel back in time to when Ruby was dropped off at the church. The Doctor is seen holding Ruby as a baby and whispering to her “Happy Birthday” as he sets her down in front of the church. Don’t mind me crying at a Doctor Who special. I think it’s a nice hint of foreshadowing because it sounds like the series will expand on Ruby’s back story and I’m interested to see where that goes.

Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road is available to stream on Disney+. While some fans might not like the fact that Doctor Who is on Disney+, I think it’s a great idea. Since Doctor Who is more available to me, I might end up watching this series and get back into keeping up to date on new episodes.