“The Boys” is a Bloody Good Time (Seasons 1 & 2 Review)

Note: This review was originally published in The Cape Cod Chronicle in November 2020.

For those suffering from superhero fatigue, I get it. There are at least five a year, and not all of them can be winners. Sometimes, you might want to step away from the big screen, and get comfortable on your own couch for some exciting, binge-able television. One thing that the pandemic has brought us is more time to invest searching our streaming queues for new shows to devote ourselves to, and The Boys is one such series that brought me happiness in the last few months.

Review: “Big Mouth” Season 4 is a Mature Take on Immaturity

Note: This review was originally published in The Cape Cod Chronicle in December 2020.

Growing up is a messy affair; I can attest to it most plainly. That’s why it’s fun to see a representation of adolescence that seems so much more extreme than a realistic worse case scenario — it makes you glad that kind of thing has never happened to you.

That seems to be the main gimmick of Big Mouth, a raunchy animated series from creative team (and childhood friends) Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg, centered around very fictionalized versions of themselves as kids. I’ve been a viewer of the show since its premiere in 2017, and as more issues and subjects concerning the young people of today find a place in the news, so does Big Mouth. The series has continued to grow, along with its protagonists, finding new ground to cover and new areas to explore with each passing season.

Review: Mando and his Fan-Favorite Ward Return in “The Mandalorian” Season Two Premiere

Note: This review was originally published in The Cape Cod Chronicle in October 2020.

Even if you’ve never seen The Mandalorian, you’re undoubtedly familiar with its most iconic character: Baby Yoda, known in-franchise as ‘The Child,’ swept the nation with his cuteness and proved how unprepared Disney was with merchandising for the show. Star Pedro Pascal even described the Child as an “incredible scene partner,” showing he’s just as beloved on set as he is in our hearts.

Unfortunately, if you’re watching The Mandalorian solely for your Baby Yoda fix, you might have to wait a little while. The record-breaking series is back with a new season that will continue through to the end of the year. The titular Mandalorian (played by Pascal) returns, this time with a new mission that relegates Baby Yoda to a mere McGuffin, a plot device to drive the story forward. That’s definitely not a bad thing, though; it means we get more of Pascal and his ever-growing comfort in the role fo the Mandalorian.

“Teenage Bounty Hunters” Review: (Semi) Wholesome Fun, Grounded in Realism, Filled with Surprises

After a fun fantasy binge, I was in the mood to watch something a little more…grounded. Something down-to-earth, something that was fun, practical, and easy to understand.

So, I picked a show that was brand-new to Netflix. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve recently made.

Teenage Bounty Hunters has the premise summed up right in its title. The bounty hunters in question are fraternal twins Sterling (Maddie Phillips) and Blair Wesley (Anjelica Bette Fellini), who take a job with more experienced hunter Bowser (Kadeem Hardison) in order to pay for the damage they do to their father’s truck.

“Lovecraft Country” (Pilot) Review: A Timely Tale of Racial Terror

You’d think that a story apparently based on the stories of H.P. Lovecraft would be mostly horror-oriented. When Jordan Peele and JJ Abrams are involved, though, it turned out to be quite the opposite.

Aside from a signaturely weird HBO opening sequence and the final scene, the premiere of Lovecraft Country is entirely focused on a timely and important real-life horror: racism, in particular the injustices of the 20th century.

Set in 1950s white America, Black sci-fi fan Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) sets off on a road trip with his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance), the publisher of the Safe Negro Travel Guide, and his childhood friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) to find his missing father and claim a birthright he never knew he had. It’s a basic premise, but one that lends itself to a number of potential paths. If the rest of the series is anything like the pilot, I very much like the one it settled on.

“An American Pickle” Review: Defying All Sorts of Expectations

Despite being a comedy, An American Pickle manages to defy Seth Rogen’s genre.

How, you might ask? How does this new streaming film challenge the typically-R-rated actor’s method of entertainment?

To start off, most of his films are “rooted in realism.” This doesn’t mean their contrived conflicts and insanity could (and would) actually happen, but they’re set in a familiar time, or political climate, that the audience can relate to.

Of course, there are some exceptions. Sausage Party and This is the End, among others, don’t exactly scream ‘relatable.’ However, An American Pickle isn’t a part of that group, but it wouldn’t find a place among his other films either. Instead, it’s in a league of its own.

“The Umbrella Academy” Season Two Review: The Seven Stages of Fun

Note: This review was originally published in The Cape Cod Chronicle in August 2020.

by Rowan Wood

Time travel is a tricky business, that arrives, much like the heroes in the latest season of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, with a whole host of questions: how do you avoid cliché time travel pitfalls? How can these characters grow and evolve, beyond their first-season selves? Most of all, how do you keep things original, and unique to the world you’ve created?

Thankfully, Netflix’s big-budget, ten-episode format is the perfect medium to tell the story that the show needed to tell. After the massive cliffhanger of the first season, the superpowered Hargreeves siblings are stranded at different points in the early 1960s, and must reunite to stop a world-ending apocalypse on November 25, 1963.

“Hamilton” Review: Say Yes to This!

“What’s your name, man?”

I don’t know of a single musical theatre fan that has never either longed to, or has been lucky enough, to see Hamilton live on stage. And the only thing more exciting than seeing a live performance of Hamilton is seeing the show with its original cast.

Now, finally, the latter is possible again, nearly four years after the cast’s exit. A professionally recorded version of a few 2016 performances (all spliced together) has debuted on Disney+, and even if you’ve seen the show once, twice, three times before, this is a completely new way to experience the show.

“Love, Victor” Season One Review: Squeal-Worthy Teen Drama

Love, Simon didn’t need a sequel. It was a perfectly self-contained story, so I must admit I was skeptical when Disney announced they were producing a TV series, set in the same world, that would follow new characters while also featuring a few returning ones.

Thankfully, my cynicism was not well-founded. Love, Victor is able to separate itself from the show while also involving some of its most important elements. There are a few returning characters (chiefly, Nick Robinson’s Simon Spier, one of the show’s narrators), but Love, Victor feels like a very distinct entry in this world, alike enough to its source material to satisfy fans of shared universes, while also being unique and introducing some new ideas.

“The Invisible Man” (2020) Review: A Hidden Gem

In the short history of blockbuster cinematic universes, none has been a more high-profile failure than Universal’s Dark Universe, which would have featured crossovers between well-known Universal monsters such as Frankenstein and Dracula. However, after the disastrous performances of Dracula Untold and The Mummy at the box office, Universal opted to go the standalone route. The Invisible Man is the first film to emerge from that endeavor, and if future films are as successful as this one, there’s hope for the series yet.

Horror movies have never been my favorite genre, but I’ve always been fascinated by the creative ideas they present and their ability to convey real-life concepts through their stories. The Invisible Man is a fantastic example, telling the story of Cecilia Kass (a crazily on-edge Elisabeth Moss), who believes that her controlling and abusive ex-boyfriend Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) has faked his death, figured out a way to turn invisible and is coming after her.

“Space Force” Episodes 1-4 Review: Finding Its Footing

Space Force is a very interesting series, for a number of reasons. Created by Greg Daniels and Steve Carrell not long after the new branch of the United States military was announced, the Netflix show manages to be funny while also being politically inoffensive (a smart move on the writer’s part).

It would be very easy for this show to ridicule the current administration for the creation of such an absurd-sounding military branch, and true, some characters do. The writers’ feelings about the President are alluded to, but surprisingly, it’s a relatively politics-lite show.

Newly promoted four-star Air Force General Mark Naird (Steve Carrell) is put in charge of the brand-new Space Force and, much to his family’s chagrin, they have to move to a remote town in Colorado. Jump to a year later, where the Space Force has made leaps and bounds towards their goal to get “boots on the moon” by 2024. However, there’s still day-to-day trouble that Mark and his employees have to deal with.

Drake & Wayne Episode One “The Earth-7 Shuffle” Review: A Brilliant Start to an Ambitious Series

I’m going to start off this review by stating a simple fact: it’s totally biased. I created the initial universe that Drake & Wayne is based in, and three of the main characters originally appeared in my web series. I won’t mince words, and this is a full disclosure that I have been wicked excited to watch this series for over a year. But before you read my review, you should watch the episode! What’s stopping you? It’s embedded right there, above this paragraph! There’s nothing stopping you!

Now that you’ve (ahem) watched the episode, I can jump in. Drake & Wayne is nothing short of professional, in more ways than one. From the very beginning it’s clear that you’re in for a wild ride; the cinematography and visuals suck you right in, and tease just exactly what you’re in for.

Gore Crenis -- a major player in future episodes, to be sure...

The first of six Drake & Wayne episodes begins with Drake (Maximus Papsadore), a recent graduate from the Multiversal Police Academy, sent on a contraband bust on his first day in the field. He’s teamed up with detective Richard D. Johnson (Caleb Petty) and narcotics expert Triglav Hattrick (Jack Sullivan), but during the bust Drake recognizes his old MVPD roommate, Wayne (Patrick Morahan) who’s become a purveyor of rare interdimensional items (such as some mysterious toothpaste from Earth-20).

The Difficulty with Recasting Main Television Roles

Australian actress and model Ruby Rose was cast as the CW’s Batwoman in 2018, and since then has been featured in two of the annual crossovers and a full television season. However, a few days ago, the news broke that Rose would not be returning as the character of Kate Kane in the already-ordered second season of Batwoman, which is the first time the star of a CW series has left after only one season.

Maybe they could cast someone with naturally red hair.

Personally, I enjoyed the first season of Batwoman (I may review it in the near future), and Rose’s performance was one of its strongest points. This is why, admittedly, the news of her departure shocked me. I know this has happened before, but to me, it’s unprecedented. I’ve never watched a full season of a show, only to see its star replaced after one season (except for Doctor Who, but I’m not sure how much that counts).

Not to say that Rose was “replaced.” In fact, barely a day after her departure was announced, word got out of possible reasons why she left. Apparently, it was a “mutual” separation, with Rose being unhappy about the long hours of work that the lead role required. This unhappiness made her unpleasant to work with, so it seems that there was friction between the actress and the studio that led to the split. Rose also suffered at least one major injury while doing stunts, and although the internet has pointed out that that was not the reason for her departure, I have a feeling it may have contributed to it.

“DC’s Stargirl” (Episode One) Review: A Welcome Bit of Hope

Brec Bassinger’s enthusiasm is infectious.

“I wonder, how many coming-of-age clichés can one jam into a teen superhero series?” That must’ve been said by someone at least once at a Stargirl production meeting, because there’s no way it didn’t come up at least once.

Granted, Stargirl isn’t consumed by clichés, but the brand-new superhero series certainly doesn’t have a shortage. Single parent? Check. New stepparent? Check. A difficult relationship between the protagonist and their new stepparent that is eventually ameliorated over time as they bond over some sort of discovery? Check and check.

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Season Seven Review: A Masterful End of an Era

Having not watched any network television until 2015, I was never a regular viewer of the Star Wars animated TV series. The Clone Wars has ended, Rebels never caught my full attention, and I never bothered to dedicate time to Resistance. But when Clone Wars was acquired by Netflix, I knew this was my chance to explore that area of the Star Wars universe.

I never had enough time to watch the full series, but I saw most of the episodes that mattered to the core story. That’s why, in 2018, when a full seventh season was set to premiere on the then-untitled Disney streaming service, I was filled with a rush of excitement. The only issue is, we had to wait until 2020 to finally see the concluding episodes.

And boy, was it worth the wait.

“Upload” Season One Review: Sitcom or Edgy Drama?

Once again, pop culture and streaming television have predicted the future, and while we’ve seen a lot of apocalyptic scenarios on screen, the future depicted in Amazon Prime’s new series Upload is one I wouldn’t mind living in.

As is the case with most future worlds, technology has essentially consumed society. Cars are nearly fully automated (with built-in artificial intelligence), virtual reality is widely used, and watches do everything your phone can (sound familiar?). But if you had the choice, would you “upload” your consciousness to a digital afterlife instead of dying?

“The Willoughbys” Review: Quirky Fun for the Whole Family

The best word to describe The Willoughbys, a new animated film on Netflix, is ‘random.’ It’s all over the place, but in the best possible way. If you’re a fan of chaotically fun stories with an emotional core, this film is for you.

The Willoughbys scheme to get rid of their parents.

The titular family is a tumultuous one. The Willoughbys were once a proud and honorable family, but they’ve since fallen from grace under two horrible parents, simply known as Mother and Father (played with amusing Britishness by Martin Short and Jane Krakowski). They are criminally neglectful of their children, Tim (Will Forte), Jane (Alessia Cara) and two identical twins named Barnaby (both voiced by Seán Cullen). With good reason, the children become fed up with their parents, so they hatch a number of schemes to orphan themselves and gain better lives.

“Emma.” Review: Funny, Charming and Witty

by Grace Ripley

We have seen Emma, the novel written in 1815 by Jane Austen, adapted for the screen countless times, how does this version make room for itself in the extensive lineup?

Emma is the story of an indelicate but well-born matchmaker Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy, who portrays the iconic character with an unmistakable grace and haughtiness) living with her father (Bill Nighy) in early-1800s England. She befriends Harriet Smith, who lives at the local school, and takes it upon herself to guide Harriet to who she believes is the right lover, and away from the one she thinks is unfit — although he is the one Harriet would choose. Harriet looks to Emma for everything, and Emma — often misguided, although she believes herself the most fit in every situation — tends to abuse that.

“Onward” Review: A Fun Fantasy, But Doesn't Live Up to All Pixar Standards

Barley (Chris Pratt) and Ian (Tom Holland)

Crying at the movies isn’t all that uncommon. If something’s sad, and it causes emotions to surface, it’s worth it just to get it all out. But there are some movies that you don’t expect to evoke melancholy, that impress you with their ability to bring tears to your eyes.

The latest to do this for me was Pixar’s latest, Onward, set in a world where fantastical and magical creatures evolved into a modern society in place of humanity. Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) is a young elf who is trying to figure out who he is on his sixteenth birthday. His brother Barley (Chris Pratt) tries to make it a special day for Ian, but only served to embarrass Ian with his boisterous and unabashed love of the enchanting ways of the past, where wizards handled problems through magical means. That was centuries ago, though, and modern technology has taken over the world, creating potential for an interesting bit of social commentary.

“Diary of a Future President” Season One Review: Have Fun With It

Elena (Tess Romero) and Bobby (Charlie Bushnell).

Disney+ is on a roll. The Mandalorian was the most in-demand streaming series (domestically) multiple weeks in a row, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is lauded by critics and audiences alike, and they’ve already adapted popular children’s books Timmy Failure and Stargirl into feature-length original films. But there’s another new original series on the streaming service, albeit one that isn’t getting as much attention as it should.