Enjoy your weekly reminder that Gabby and Jay once dated.

I KNOW.

“Gina, they were just a fling! They’re not relevant anymore!”

Umm, I beg to differ. They’re super relevant when promo pics like this are coming down the pipeline:

WILL. NO. You are NOT allowed to be Eskimo QUADRUPLETS with YOUR BROTHER, Casey, and Mills. And if Lindsay were in this episode, I’d say you’re not allowed to be Eskimo triplets with your brother and Severide, either. Are we clear? Good.

See how it’s relevant, now?

I’d go on, but this just happened:

Excuse you, dude, I’m in the middle of a recap here.

Oh, shit. I mean at the grenade going off, not the Italian subtitles in that video.

The thing you need to know here is that this kid is a domestic terrorist who worked in an infectious disease lab. He injected himself with a virus the Soviets used to use as a biological weapon, and then proceeded to detonate a grenade in the ER.

I’ll give your fair warning that this recap is a little scatterbrained, but that is because A LOT went down for a one-hour show. This episode was emotional and intense. In fact, I was texting a friend during the episode, and our conversation eventually just boiled down to this:

It was a doozy, y’all. I had legit anxiety probably from the minute the bomb went off until the halfway mark. And I freaking loved it.

KELLYYYYYYY-

The title of this paragraph comes from all of the times in the episode that I wanted to tweet “KELLYYYYYYYY” with a bunch of sad-face emojis. I had the urge to do it about ten different times, but managed to only do it once. Be proud, y’all. It took a lot of self-control.

A LOT of stuff goes down in this episode, but the most important story of the night reveals itself as soon as Otis realizes Kelly isn’t moving. Mills and Brett come to Sev’s aid and realize that he took the brunt of the blast. Will is there, too, but immediately renders himself useless AND sets the entire fandom against himself with four words.

“Black tag him. He’s gone.”

He’s what?!? Do you know what show you’re on? Do you know who that is?!?

WILL JUST SUGGESTED LEAVING SEVERIDE TO DIE.

HOW IS THAT OKAY?!? I am so baffled/irked by this that I cannot let it go. I have never done a 180 on a character as quickly as I did in this moment. Will needs to check himself before he wrecks himself, and by that, I mean he needs to binge this show on Hulu and learn the #1 rule:

YOU NEVER GIVE UP ON KELLY SEVERIDE.

Mills knows what’s up.

Hey Dr. Will? Peter Mills [along with the rest of the fandom] would like for you to STFU.

Mills and Brett assist the blonde doctor who apparently used to be on Walking Dead. Long story short: Severide survives, but not without a metric shit-ton of emotional moments in between:

First, Kelly only sees Shay while he’s under:

Then there’s this moment when Kelly is crashing and the entire team is outside the OR watching intently:

Casey’s worried face. I. Die.

There’s the relief in April’s face that come with the best three words of the hour: “Severide is stable!”

Then there’s this moment when Severide swears he doesn’t remember anything, but we all know him way better than that.

We know you saw Shay, boo. It’s okay. Also, pause for a moment and take the required five seconds to appreciate those gorgeous blue eyes.

Kelly. Don’t ever scare us like this again, mmkay?

Dawsey-

One glance at Molly’s leads to rejoicing heard all around the country:

I am too overjoyed about this Dawsey hookup for words. I can only express myself via emoji:

Dawson spews a glorious line of BS mid-hookup about this only being a “reaction to the stress of the day,” but I don’t even care. Dawson is gonna Dawson, but GOOD GOD IT IS ABOUT TIME, am I right? There has been a lot of speculation on the internets about the consequence of this hookup, but I’m not going to entertain it yet. I’m just going to kick back and continue to tweet that emoji to appreciate these two nutjobs finally finding their way back to each other.

Other Stuff-

The explosion leaves an electrical fire in the ceiling, a poor, unsuspecting old guy gets the bomber’s ulna lodged in his stomach (nope- I did not mistype that) and the virus turns out not to be a threat as it never passed the incubation period. Other than that, however, not a lot else occurs plot-wise.

What I will say is worth mentioning is that Mills is AMAZING in this episode. My favorite quality about his character is that he never takes no for an answer. From telling Will to f*ck off to assisting Dr. Walking Dead, he fights HARD for Severide, and I love it SO MUCH. Honestly, if Mills sticks around (see next week’s promo), I’d love to see more Severide/Mills stuff. Mills looks up to Kelly- it would make for some good television.

So, about Chicago Med-

We all know that this episode was the backdoor pilot for Chicago Med. I remember when the initial idea for Chicago P.D. was announced. I was VERY skeptical, but knew I’d at least give it a shot. Cut to nearly two years later, and I am obsessed (I have Halstead GIF’s on my phone, y’all. I’m equal parts not proud of it/not sorry).

I enjoyed the backdoor pilot for Chicago P.D. Casey had just lost [what he thought was] the love of his life. He was broken, and two characters we’d already met were there to pick up the pieces. Scott Eastwood was there, too. The backdoor pilot for Chicago Med, while spectacular, left me kind of indifferent. Severide was quite literally broken, and instead of picking up the pieces, one of the characters we’d already met gave him an immediate death sentence. What’s the expression about catching more bees with honey than vinegar? It applies here.

Acting-wise, the cast packs a punch. Oliver Platt and S. Epatha Merkerson are veterans, and I’m sure the Fire/PD/Med universe will gain a ton of Walking Dead fans with the addition of Laurie Holden. The thing with their characters, however, is that we know nothing about them. And as far as the characters we already know, I went into the episode invested in two, and came out only invested in one.

If picked up, Chicago Med would be a hospital show serving as a second spinoff. That’s a double whammy of the odds being stacked against them. Further muddying the waters is the question of what night it would air. Chicago Fire holds its own with The Voice as a lead-in on Tuesday, and Chicago P.D. has Mariska and the gang at SVU on Wednesday. The show could air on Thursday with The Blacklist, but would then go up against the Shondaland Empire on ABC. I’m sure the doctors at Chicago Med are a fine bunch, but not even they would win in a fight against Meredith, Olivia and Annalise. Monday looks to be the show’s only viable option; if they stick it on Friday, it shows that NBC has little to no faith in the show.

The moral of the story is that I think Chicago Med has an uphill battle, and it’s a really, really tall hill with a very steep incline. With that said, however, I am always up to try a new show once (remind me to tell you the story of the time I sat through the entire pilot episode of The Strain. Oof.). If picked up, I will watch and hope that it turns me into the devotee that Chicago P.D. has. I will also give Will a second chance.

So now that I’ve blabbed on for way longer than usual, I want to hear from you! Did you LOVE the big “Medpisode?” Will you watch Chicago Med if it becomes a thing? Are you SO HAPPY about Dawsey?!? You know the drill- I LOVE talking about this stuff. Drop me a comment or a tweet @GinaWatchesTV and I will catch you next week!

GIF Credit: fyeahchicagofire.tumblr.com
Photo Credit: NBC

The post Chicago Fire 3×19, “I Am the Apocalypse” appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

Or really, what should be the recap for episode 3×20, “You Know Where To Find Me.”

These past two weeks have been a perfect storm of sorts- a perfect, maddening, grasping-at-straws, throwing around ridiculous theories till we crack ourselves up-type storm. The home stretch of the season is not only a TERRIBLE time for a two-week break, it’s also just downright evil. We’ve had all sorts of teasers floating around to tide us over, but at the end of the day, they’re just that: TEASERS. Without actual episodes to help us sleep at night watch, the Speculation Game continues, and honestly, the Speculation Game kind of sucks. You can only throw around so many what-ifs before you end up with Will being next week’s serial killer and look around saying, “wait, what?!?”

And now for something completely different-

The indicators have been there for weeks. The promo gave it to us on a silver platter, then a new paramedic was spotted on set. Charlie Barnett was spotted everywhere but Chicago, and then these tweets popped up during the closing credits:

Peter Mills has left the building.

Various incantations of EP Matt Olmstead’s interview are floating around the web explaining why they chose to emotionally destroy us. Basically, the writers felt like they had exhausted all possible storylines for Mills and his character had come full circle. I call BS, but I’ll discuss that plus the other things in this episode another time. 

A major character leaving in something other than a bodybag is uncharted territory for Chicago Fire fans, so I’m honestly not entirely sure how to proceed. This is the first episode that has ever made me shed actual tears (the group hug got me); I’m super sad, but also trying to convince myself that the writers were right. The struggle is so real right now, y’all. 

So… in lieu of a full-episode recap (thanks, Time Warner Cable, for making sure I missed the episode when it aired), I’m going to use this space to give Mills my own, personal, Buzzfeed-style send-off.

I now present to you, ten things we will miss about Peter Mills:

10. His swagger.

I know we’re all aboard the Good Ship Dawseypop, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate Millson for what they were. You can’t deny that young Peter Mills had to spit mad game to land Gabby early on.

SERIOUSLY.

IT NEVER STOPS.

IT’S MISTA STEAL YO GIRRRRRL!!!

I’m not even going to talk about the kiss at the end of 3×20, cause not only am I not worried about it, but it was sadly kind of terrible. I’m going to ignore it, and you should, too.

9. His friendship with Brett.

From their adorable first meeting.

To the time things got real, but they still had each others backs.

Right till the very end.

We are all Sylvie in this scene, only she cries a lot prettier than most of us did watching this episode.

8. His bromance with Pouch.

7. His role in this iconic scene.

Miss you, Shay.

6. His compassion for others- like when Newhouse was in over his head:

Or when Casey broke down after Hallie’s death.

5. His devotion to his family.

4. And how he always wore his heart on his sleeve.

Even if it occasionally got him in trouble…

3. How he was seldom afraid, in any situation, ever.

Psycho holding a knife to a cop’s throat? No problem.

2. How he never gave up when the going got tough.

Like when Dr. Halstead wanted to “black tag” Severide.

SUCK IT, WILL. I’m still bitter.

1. And how even though he sometimes overstepped his bounds, at the heart of it all was a good kid who just wanted to honor his father’s legacy.

Thank you, Charlie, and Godspeed, young Peter Mills. We’re gonna miss you like crazy.

GIF Credit: fyeahchicagofire.tumblr.com, sophiabushgifs.tumblr.com, fyeah-monicaraymund.tumblr.com/ and a TON of other Tumblr pages- so many so that I forgot to jot them all down. If I used your GIF, please don’t be angry- just tweet me @GinaWatchesTV and I’ll credit you here!
Image Credit: @NBCChicagoFire Twitter Page

The post 10 Things We Will Miss About Peter Mills On Chicago Fire appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

Sarita and Jordan return to live-blog Last Tango in Halifax’s third episode. This is the first episode where the show shows its true dramatic leanings. The fun, quippy stuff is good, but the drama in this episode really shows the depths the cast have, and it was something that really helped elevate its game.  Jordan and Sarita in particular enjoyed Nicola Walker’s performance; her ability to convey her emotional turmoil through her eyes and not words draws viewers into her sorrows and empathize with her struggles. The show is eager to tell stories using looks and lingering camera shots rather than a bunch of dialogue. Focusing on the actors’ reactions gives the show a warmer, intimate feeling, and Walker really showed Gillian’s hurt.

The third episode showed the fallout from the second episode’s ending drama, which left off with both Alan and Celia’s families meeting and unraveling at Gillian’s house. Even though this episode was a bit more dramatic than the first two, it really showed just how deeply invested we are to be in the lives of these families. Gillian tries to get back Raffie’s trust, but just as she does, Paul comes to her in seek of help. This was a strong Gillian episode and Walker was really up for the challenge. On the other hand, Caroline is about done with John’s philandering ways. Not ready to trust him, she decides to turn to Kate for support. Whether or not the two resume their romantic relationship, there a deeply rooted foundation of friendship there. Finally, to give the dramatic tone some levity, Alan and Celia spend time seeking out wedding venues and getting to know each other. Once again, they’re adorable. The two wind up getting locked in a church at episode’s end.

Below is a briefly edited transcript of our thoughts of this episode. Leave yours in the comments!

Sarita Muley – 9:57 PM

The music is very dramatic though peppy

Jordan Hickman – 9:58 PM

it is!

Sarita Muley – 9:59 PM

I love that Caroline just lets out her emotions, even though she almost gets them into an accident

I wonder if she actually still cares for her husband and is more frustrated at letting him back in than actually losing him

Sarita Muley – 10:02 PM

Gillian looks legitimately perplexed/potentially hurt that her mother didn’t give him the note

Must be very confusing to hear that news

Jordan Hickman – 10:02 PM

i know. she really does. plus, her son’s in this mess so everything is messed up.

Sarita Muley – 10:02 PM

I mean worried that her father regrets about the note

Jordan Hickman – 10:02 PM

right. i see what you mean.

Sarita Muley – 10:03 PM

Jordan Hickman – 10:03 PM

lololol john just stayed there.

Sarita Muley – 10:03 PM

Ha ha, yeah, he didn’t even bother trying to find another way home.

Jordan Hickman – 10:03 PM

i know. what a sleezebag.

Sarita Muley – 10:03 PM

Definitely

Very awkward that their family drama is all in the open and they all barely know each other

“glorious, snotty, mad Caroline.” ha. Interesting way to describe his wife but he is kind of right about her snottiness

Jordan Hickman – 10:05 PM

indeed he is.

Sarita Muley – 10:05 PM

Uh oh.. super awkward conversation about to start…

Love it! No words needed. Just Gillian’s facial expression conveyed she knows what her son learned.

Jordan Hickman – 10:06 PM

i love gillian so much. she expresses so much with her eyes.

Sarita Muley – 10:07 PM

You’re right about the eyes.

Ha, that red car looks so bright against the dull settings of the air and the house

Jordan Hickman – 10:08 PM

it really does. i was just thinking the same thing.

awwwww, they are sooooo adorable.

Sarita Muley – 10:08 PM

They are! I love Alan’s cute, eager face. His childlike wonderment.

Jordan Hickman – 10:09 PM

john’s tearing up the kitchen to make some mediocre french toast. he’s the worst/best?

Sarita Muley – 10:09 PM

Ha ha agree. Is he still drunk?

Jordan Hickman – 10:09 PM

he has to be.

Sarita Muley – 10:09 PM

He must have drunk a lot over the night

Jordan Hickman – 10:10 PM

he and gillian opened a few more bottles or something!

Sarita Muley – 10:10 PM

Whoa! Makes sense. Probably since both had the worst night

So funny that Celia and Alan are laughing at the fight. Ha ha ha.

Jordan Hickman – 10:10 PM

i love alan and celia listening to the whole fight.

Sarita Muley – 10:10 PM

it’s funny.

Jordan Hickman – 10:10 PM

it really is.

Sarita Muley – 10:10 PM

“Oh damn, she shut the window.” ha ha ha ha.

Jordan Hickman – 10:11 PM

hahahhahahaa

they are the best

Sarita Muley – 10:11 PM

They really are. It’s funny how alan and celia have a quaint tea set and that’s a sharp contrast to the scene at Caroline’s

Jordan Hickman – 10:12 PM

ugh, gillian’s little guy is so sleezy and creepy

i hate him

Sarita Muley – 10:12 PM

Me too. What was she thinking.

I mean I understand what she was thinking but wish it was someone else

Jordan Hickman – 10:13 PM

agreed.

she doesn’t have any friends

so sad

Sarita Muley – 10:13 PM

awww. It is. I hope she and Caroline bond because both could really use a friend.

Uh oh – John?!?

I love that they show Caroline without makeup in the morning. That’s how real women are in the morning .Most shows act as if women wake up with makeup on.

Jordan Hickman – 10:15 PM

i know, i love shows like that. FNL did it a lot with Tami when she and coach would talk in bed at night.

so refreshing

Sarita Muley – 10:15 PM

Yes, good example! I forget about FNL.

Lot of red in this episode. Judith’s glove. John’s sweater when he returned. The car.

Oops Kate, not Judith.

Jordan Hickman – 10:16 PM

hahahaha

and you’re so right about the red

Sarita Muley – 10:17 PM

ha ha ha ha ha. the water.

“I do not want you here.” That tone was so shrill but funny

Jordan Hickman – 10:17 PM

caroline is so dramatic yet it works

Sarita Muley – 10:17 PM

Exactly

Aww I feel bad for their sons

I kind of think that Celia should stop talking about her past husband to her upcoming husband

I feel bad for her but hope she can move on with her future happiness instead of stuck in past

Jordan Hickman – 10:19 PM

yeah, she seemed so unhappy and maybe she’s scared about the future with alan

Sarita Muley – 10:20 PM

That’s true.

Alan is a great listener.

Jordan Hickman – 10:20 PM

he really is.

Sarita Muley – 10:20 PM

“oh I don’t mean anything untoward.” aww so proper, lol.

Jordan Hickman – 10:21 PM

gillian’s face is just the best. so much goes on behind her eyes and expressions.

Sarita Muley – 10:21 PM

Exactly. I was thinking that she “eye acts” the same way that Lauren Graham did as Sarah Braverman.

Jordan Hickman – 10:22 PM

yeah, nicola walker is one of my favorite actresses.

Sarita Muley – 10:23 PM

I’ll have to watch more shows with her

Ugh, Robbie is the worst.

I hope John and Gillian do not have an affair. Friendship would be far better

Jordan Hickman – 10:24 PM

Yeah, please no affairs. I want Gillian and Caroline to be friends and not be the stereotypical catty women

Sarita Muley – 10:24 PM

Me too. I hope they show something different by showing Gillian and John as friends. We don’t see friendships like that

Jordan Hickman – 10:25 PM

me too

Sarita Muley – 10:25 PM

Good thing for Kate standing up for herself

Jordan Hickman – 10:26 PM

Yeah, Caroline is so self absorbed so i’ts nice to see Caroline getting this lecture

Sarita Muley – 10:26 PM

Exactly. Caroline doesn’t realize how her behavior impacts others

She’s clueless in how she’s impacted both Kate and John

Jordan Hickman – 10:27 PM

But this scene, Caroline apologizing, is really well done. She’s making excuses but she’s able to stand by them and help Kate understand why she is the way she is

Sarita Muley – 10:28 PM

Very true. She acknowledges she is selfish.

You’re right about Gillian. Watching her eyes and expressions make me feel her panic through the tv screen

Whoa, John is giving sensible advice.

Jordan Hickman – 10:29 PM

i know!

Sarita Muley – 10:29 PM

I love the piano music accompanying Alan and Celia.

Such different characters. Gillian makes you feel her emotions versus Caroline’s uptightness prevents you from getting into her emotional turmoil. Very good acting

Jordan Hickman – 10:31 PM

great observation!

Sarita Muley – 10:31 PM

Thanks!

Jordan Hickman – 10:31 PM

Sarita Muley – 10:31 PM

Okay, why isn’t Paul at the hospital?

Jordan Hickman – 10:32 PM

Yeah, i don’t  know….

Sarita Muley – 10:32 PM

I just missed who he named as the people who banged him up. Was it Robbie?

Jordan Hickman – 10:33 PM

it was his fiance’s…family? brothers?

Sarita Muley – 10:33 PM

Oh, he was engaged! I didn’t know that.

Jordan Hickman – 10:34 PM

hahahahahaha such an awkward conversation

Sarita Muley – 10:34 PM

Ha ha ha yes

TMI from Celia, lol

Funny that Celia thinks her daughter would want to know full extent of visit with Alan

I feel a little bad for Paul but not really. He brought it on by telling Raffie.

Sarita Muley – 10:38 PM

This religion/politics discussion with Alan and Celia is funny. They are disagreeing but in a very cute and diplomatic way

Jordan Hickman – 10:40 PM

Yeah, they don’t have to agree on everything and it’s sweet that they are okay with that

Sarita Muley – 10:40 PM

Yeah I like their acceptance of their differences

Jordan Hickman – 10:41 PM

me too!!

Sarita Muley – 10:43 PM

I think it a good reflection of life that the older couple are carefree. With old age, less bother. Whereas the younger folks on the show are more involved with drama

Jordan Hickman – 10:44 PM

Yeah, this show is incredibly refreshing in their roles

Sarita Muley – 10:44 PM

Definitely

Poor Gillian.

She’s helping the guy that caused her so much pain with her son

Jordan Hickman – 10:44 PM

Saint

Sarita Muley – 10:45 PM

Definitely. I could never do that.

Jordan Hickman – 10:45 PM

yeah it would be tough

ughhhh gillian just take him to hospital and go get your son.

Sarita Muley – 10:46 PM

Yes!

She’s feeling guilty, so probably that’s why she isn’t going after her son.

Okay, this is kind of random with Alan and Celia in the haunted museum…

Jordan Hickman – 10:47 PM

For sure

A lot of drama this episode and light on the comedy

Sarita Muley – 10:49 PM

Definitely. I sort of started feeling bad for John a little more in this episode, even though he is a sleezebag

Jordan Hickman – 10:49 PM

for sure.

for me this was my least favorite episode, but i like that’s its starting to set the tone and pace for things to come.

Sarita Muley – 10:51 PM

Yeah, I agree that the other two episodes felt more fleshed out. I didn’t like the randomness of Alan and Celia.

Randomness meaning the random place they visited

Jordan Hickman – 10:51 PM

agreed

Sarita Muley – 10:52 PM

I’m interested to see how Gillian will get out of this pickle. Seems like a hard one to get out of

Jordan Hickman – 10:52 PM

me too

i think her son will for sure come back

Image Credit: BBC

The post Last Tango in Halifax – Episode 3 appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

Guys, I cannot rewatch the crossover.

I’ve tried. I’ve fired up the DVR, I’ve pulled up the episodes on my computer, but I just can’t do it. It’s too painful.

Where the previous two crossovers went for action, last week’s went for emotion- and I’m not talking overwhelming happiness, skittles and unicorns. I’m talking gut-wrenching sadness, anger and a severe case of the creeps.

It. Was. Brutal.

Thankfully, the crossover started slow and gradually picked up speed. While Chicago Fire merely served as the springboard for what may be the most intense three hours of television I have ever seen, it was still an action-packed ride. I have a ton to talk about, so let’s get right down to business!

Forget the tissues- bring the popcorn…

The madness begins when 51 is called to a house fire they believe started with an overloaded power cord. It’s not until Antonio rolls up and adorably kisses his sister on the cheek tells Gabby that the victim was sexually assaulted that things get real.

#siblinggoals.

The Arson Twins- AKA Dawson and Severide- investigate and discover that the fire was intentionally set. As in, the victim was sexually assaulted and then left to burn alive. Wonderful, right?

I don’t know what it is about these two together, but I love it so much.

Anyways, our favorite wonder-duo meet a neighbor outside who says that he spotted someone in scrubs with an arm sling right before the fire. They take him to District 21, where his description earns us a glimpse into Voight and Benson’s late night Skype-sessions.

I still ship these two so hard. #shameless

Benson tells Voight that this is all too similar to a case she worked with Stabler back in 2004, causing her to utter one of our new favorite phrases:

“I’m on the next flight to Chicago.”

It just got SO REAL for you, Mr. Serial Killer!!!

Ben-son funk you up… Benson funk you up!

Dawson makes sure to clear the initial suspect’s name, but he is still convinced that he caused the fire and goes MIA. They track his phone to find him about to jump from a bridge. This isn’t entirely relevant to the crossover, but it is relevant to Dawsey- meaning that it’s actually MORE important than the serial rapist/arsonist who is about to wreak havoc on the poor city.

“Gina, he’s about to attack-”
“NOT NOW THERE IS DAWSEY GOING ON.”

I’m going to ignore the fact that a few months ago, Casey would have TORN INTO Gabby for unhooking herself, and just enjoy the concern in his voice.

I’m also going to revel in how he ran RIGHT TO HER when she finally convinced the suspect not to jump:

Notice where Dawson is, then notice where Casey is. Mmmmmhmm! You can back off, Cruz, Dawson ain’t goin’ nowhere!

Dawsey, so hot right now.

The episode ends with the Justice League reunion we never knew we needed:

I mean. All that’s missing are some capes and superhero masks. Elsewhere…

So many motherduckers, duckin’ with my… sh-

I didn’t want to entertain the “Rice is ducking” storyline because frankly- its ridiculous and Otis kind of sucks this season- but unfortunately, I have too many opinions about it to stay silent.

I realize how harsh that sounds about Otis, but we have spent THREE YEARS rebuilding the bond this house had before Darden’s death. Otis is threatening to undo three seasons of work by doing nothing more than acting like a seventh grade girl.

Before you take in Angry Severide, take the requisite break here to appreciate those amazing blue eyes. They really are something else.

Anyways, I’m on Team Severide, here. I mean, I’m always on Team Severide, but hear me out!

Otis and Cruz immediately leap right to the worst conclusion- that Rice is a “ducker.” No benefit of the doubt, no talking to him first (Cruz does talk to him, but it’s suspicious), nothing. This house is supposed to be a FAMILY. Family doesn’t point fingers and walk away like that. They help each other out.

And can we please take a minute to look at Rice’s circumstances? He’s a widower with a 4 1/2 year old son. Frankly, if he is ducking, he probably doesn’t realize he’s doing it. I realize I’m defending a guy who could potentially be putting the entire house in danger (and yes- I KNOW he is a fictional character. This is a judgment-free zone, peeps), but I trust Severide’s judgment and Otis annoys me to no end. I’m defending Scott until I have a reason not to.

Meanwhile, in da strip club…

MOM!!!!!! Casey is being an idiot again!!!

After agreeing to work construction on a deal to franchise Stilletos- because Chicago Strip Club is rumored to be the 4th spinoff (KIDDING)-Casey smartly backs out when he catches Nesbitt in the middle of a shady business deal. Nesbitt essentially tells Matt that he can play with the strippers, but has to stay the f*ck away from the office.

OH MY GOD, Jack, you can’t just ask somebody why they’re white talk back to Matt Casey!

I found this moment uncomfortable not because of the content, but because YOU JUST DON’T DISRESPECT CASEY LIKE THAT. It’s just like- the rules of feminism!

I’m sorry, I quote Mean Girls when I get mad. Casey handles it a lot smoother than I would. Less rage and movie quotes, and more to the point:

Also, don’t think for a second that I’m ignoring the moment of awkwardness with Katya when Casey says that he “liked” the “uh- leg thing.”

He’s so damn awkward with any woman that is not Dawson that I both love it and feel bad for him. I’d like to think the strip club crap is over with because Casey doesn’t always make the best decisions, but I know it’s not. I’d also like to think he will come out of this unscathed, but I know he won’t. You know how Dawson is gonna Dawson? Yea, Casey is gonna Casey, too.

Other Stuff-

The new medic’s name is Chili. No- not the one from TLC. She’s trying really hard to be nice and get everyone to like her, but it’s just not happening. It’s nothing personal, Chili. We just miss Mills. A lot. We also didn’t like your character on Friday Night Lights, but that’s another discussion for another time. We’ll come around eventually. Maybe. I made Roman the same promise on PD. It didn’t go very well.

I also want to quickly touch on that Severide/April hookup from last week and say three things:

(a) that was hot;
(b) I LOVE these two together, and;
(c) I think she might be endgame for him.

I. DIE. That is all.

Discussion Topic of the Ep-

I’m going to start something new here where I end each recap with a discussion point. I want you guys to sound off on Twitter so we can talk about it to our heart’s content! I’m mainly doing this because I have a burning question in my head re: PD that I plan to discuss in that recap, but here we go:

Nesbitt is disgustingly shady and the way he treated Matt in this episode raises about a million red flags. Derek Haas has hinted that what goes down with the strip club in the finale will effect Dawsey “dramatically.” What do we think might happen to Matt?

What did you think of last week’s Chicago Fire? Sound off in the comments or tweet me @GinaWatchesTV and let me know! See you guys next time!

The post Chicago Fire 3×21, “We Called Her Jellybean” appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

Every summer, television lovers from Hollywood and the nation alike converge upon Austin, Texas for a magical weekend of sun, fun and as much programming as can safely be consumed in a four-day span. From Thursday to Sunday, fans mingle amongst a mix of fellow fans, industry bigwigs and a few of the actors who bring their favorite characters to life.

It all sounds amazing, right? Almost surreal? Maybe dreamlike?

What we’ve just described is not a dream- we promise. It’s the fantastic reality that is ATX Festival.

The fourth season of ATX Festival kicks off this Thursday with the premiere of USA’s newest drama, Complications. From there, the programming only gets better with panels for popular shows such as Empire, Dawson’s Creek, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and of course, the much anticipated Gilmore Girls reunion. Three of us here at RLR will be down in Austin and WE. CAN’T. WAIT. If you’re not able to make it to ATX Festival’s fourth season this weekend, well, we will miss you, but fear not! We will have wall-to-wall coverage both here at the site as well as all over social media. Here are a few of the things we’re looking forward to, in addition to where to follow us!

Jordan-

Twitter: @jordan_hickman

Everyone’s big draw this year is the 15-year Gilmore Girls reunion, but there is much, much more that draws me in this year than just the folks at Star Hollow. See below for the panels and screenings I am most looking forward to this year:

1. Hannibal- Hannibal is without a doubt my current favorite show on TV. It’s gorgeous, compelling, grotesque, and absolutely horrific. I  love it. ATX will be showing the first two episodes for the audience, while creator/writer/director Bryan Fuller does a Q&A after. The worst part is that it’s taking place at the Alamo Drafthouse which means I will not get to eat anything while I’m there since the show is so disgusting. Woe is me, since I’ll take the trade off gladly. Mostly I just can’t wait to see my wife, Gillian Anderson, on the big screen with a hundred other “Fannibals”.

2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine- The season two finale was an incredibly strong episode which shifted every plot around. I’m anxious to hear where the show can go from here and how Captain Holt and Gina will remain tied to the 99. Three cast members and Dan Goor, the show’s co-creator, will be in attendance while we watch the season finale.

3. “It’s Debatable” Panel- Last year, there were over 1,700 television shows in primetime alone. How do television critics decide which ones to write about regularly? How do they sift through the detritus to find the series that are worth watching? The panel hopes to answer those questions and more. This one will be a great conversation to attend, especially since one can feel so overwhelmed when writing about television.

4. Fox Comedies and Dramas- Last year, Fox debuted Red Band Society and The Mulaney Show before anyone else ever got to see them. They are doing the same thing this year, right after the new Fox fall schedule was announced at the May upfronts. It’s nice that Fox and ATX TV Festival have such a great relationship and trust bringing their shows there for world premieres.

5. The “Final Finale” Panel- This panel will feature writers and show runners who have the unforgiving, daunting task of writing a series finale. Do they tend to do it in a way that satisfies viewers or in a way that will wrap up the series without being perfect? Knowing they can’t please everyone, I look forward to hearing about the different approaches to finales and how the final decision is made.

Amy-

Twitter: @iAMart_22
Instagram: @iamart_22

It’s another year, another season with ATX TV Festival and I cannot wait to return for the fourth time. It’s crazy! Four summers ago I attended this festival because of a small Friday Night Lights reunion. Never in a million years did I think I would not only fall in love with such an awesome festival, but also keep coming back every year.

What I love about the festival is it’s literally all about TV. Shows from different networks all come together for one weekend to talk about their show, interact with the fans, and have some fun in Texas. Each year the festival has gotten better, improved, and continues to be blast. Sure, some years had too many shows I was interested in and some of those panels had an overlapped schedule, which made me force to make a decision of which panels to skip out on. Other years, I’ve had very few shows I’ve liked attending and gave me the option to explore new shows and panels. This year I have so many panels I want to see and only have one overlap scheduling conflict yet still manage to try new panels. YAY!

So here’s what I’m looking forward to this season:

1. Conversation with Marta Kauffman and screening of Grace & Frankie- I just finished watching Grace & Frankie on Netflix and it was just the funniest comedy show I’ve seen in a long time. The fact that Marta Kauffman (who created FRIENDS) created this show makes me excited to see how this show came about.

2. Boy Meets Girl Meets World- ATX TV Festival hosted a Boy Meets World reunion last summer and it was so great to see most of the cast back to talk about my all time favorite 90s show, the behind the scenes stories, and how they’re all still very close. This time around, I’m looking forward to meeting the new generation, Rowan Blanchard and Sabrina Carpenter, along with Ben Savage and show creator Michael Jacobs.

3. Friday Night Lights Tailgate- Out of the few the events ATX TV Festival hosts, the Friday Night Lights Tailgate Screening continues to be my favorite. It’s a perfect place to be under the stars with your friends you’ve met before and the new ones you just made, and watch an episode with some of the cast members.

4. Gilmore Girls Reunion and Coffee with Amy Sherman Palladino- Although I didn’t see Gilmore Girls till after it ended, I’m really looking forward to seeing almost everyone back together in the same room and talking about their journey, behind the scene stuff, and fun facts about the show. Of course, I’d like to see what their answers would be when someone asks where their characters would be today.

5. Conversation with Kevin & Julie- These two are taking over TV and not only are they incredibly talented but they’re also great influences and role models for those who want to go into the TV business as a show creator, producer, and/or writer. That’s exactly why I want to attend their panel.

6. Dawson’s Creek Writers Room Reunion- Like Gilmore Girls, I watched this show after it aired and binged watched the entire series on Netflix. The Dawson’s Creek writers are now show creators and writers for hit shows like Veronica Mars, The Vampire Diaries, The Following, Everwood, Private Practice, and so many more. I’m not only looking forward to seeing all of these writers talk about such an iconic 90s show, but possibly compare and discuss how writing for Dawson’s Creek prepared them for their hit shows.

7. Teen Wolf: Watch Your Pack- I love Teen Wolf and having been watching the show since day one. I’d be a fool not to go to this panel.

Honestly, I’m glad I have so many panels to look forward to attending, but I can’t pick which one I’m looking forward to the most. I just can’t. This weekend can’t get here fast enough.

Gina-

Twitter: @GinaWatchesTV
Instagram: @justlikeneon86

I’m in a bit of a different boat this year because I’m not a huge devotee of any of the shows in this year’s lineup. I’m still excited, however, as I’m going to use this year’s Fest as an opportunity to attend as many panels and take in as much new programming as I possibly can. Here’s my list:

1. Brooklyn Nine-Nine- This is the only show in the lineup I have watched on a semi-regular basis. I’m very picky about my comedies, but this show checks all of the boxes in things I look for in a show: smart comedy, cast chemistry, entertaining stories and Andy Samberg. Any buddy of Justin Timberlake’s is a buddy of mine.

2. Dawson’s Creek Pilot Script Reading- I was in the seventh grade when Dawson’s Creek debuted in 1998. At eleven years old, I was just a little too young to watch and fully appreciate all that the epitome of 90’s teenage angst had to offer. I do, however, love the 90’s, Wilmington, North Carolina, rewatching shows from my childhood/adolescence and reading scripts. Having just rewatched the pilot episode, I am excited to see who comprises the guest cast and just how certain scenes will play out.

3. Friday Night Lights- You haven’t fully experienced an ATX Festival until you’ve attended this annual event. The Friday Night Lights tailgate is exactly how I would imagine pregame in good ole Dillon, Texas: Shiner beer, Blue Bell ice cream, live music, various Streets, Riggins, Saracens and Taylors milling about and smiles and happiness all around. The tailgate was one of my favorite memories from last year’s festival, and I can’t wait to smile like an idiot at the utterance of “Texas Forever” and do it again.

4. Boy Meets Girl Meets World- I am proud to admit that I am closing in on thirty and yet regularly watch a show that airs on the Disney channel. It is rare to be able to catch up with a character later on in life, and Girl Meets World has allowed us to do just that with Cory, Topanga and the rest of the Matthews clan. Girl Meets World is clearly targeted to Disney’s key demographic- AKA not me- but it’s too sweet of a show not to watch. I’m excited to see the perspectives of Ben Savage- who has obviously been around since the very beginning- and Rowan Blanchard- who wasn’t even born when Boy Meets World started it all.

5. Complications- This year’s Fest kicks off with a sneak peek of USA’s newest drama, Complications. Complications comes to us from Matt Nix, the man who brought us Michael, Fiona and all those glorious spy secrets under the Miami sun. USA shows all have very specific premises- Michael as a blacklisted spy in Miami, Hank as a concierge doctor in the Hamptons, Annie as a CIA agent and even Mike Ross as a fake lawyer- and Complications looks to be no different. The show follows Dr. John Ellison, a doctor who becomes a bit of a vigilante hero when he intervenes in a shooting following his daughter’s death. I’m most excited for the Q&A that will follow the screening as I can’t wait to get some insight into the mind of the man who has brought USA so much success.

We here at RLR are curious: what are you most looking forward to at this year’s Festival? Are there any questions you’d ask anyone in particular, if you could? LET US KNOW! We will be in as many places as possible: red carpets, interviews and every screening and panel possible to try and provide as much coverage as we can! We may even bust out Periscope if the moment is right.

SO. If you’re spending this weekend at home, get your smartphones ready. Set your Twitter app to creep the requisite hashtags (#ATXFestival and #ATXTVS4) and follow along with us for one of the best weekends of the year. If you’re attending the Fest along with us, we can’t wait to see you. It should be a blast, and we can’t wait to share it all with you!

The post ATX FESTIVAL Preview: Gilmore Girls, Dawson’s Creek and more… appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

Change is inevitable as you grow up, but the one thing that stayed the same for me was Garrison Keillor. His radio variety show, “A Prairie Home Companion” was always a part of my childhood no matter what city I lived or how old I was. My parents loved the show, so on weekends, we listened to Keillor’s comforting voice on our car radio or in our living room. As a young kid, I didn’t pay much attention to the content. However, as I got older, I started actively listening and began appreciating Keillor’s comedic timing and storytelling skills. I particularly enjoyed the long standing skits such as his detective series “Guy Noir” and the radio commercials sponsored by the fictional American Duct Tape.

Image Source: Ravinia.org

When my friend told me that Garrison Keillor was going to tape a live show in hometown Chicago, I was naturally very excited. I was looking forward to seeing the person who was a huge presence in my childhood. I was also curious to see how the show created those extraordinarily sophisticated noise effects, which play a huge role in the show and are very effective in in helping listeners visualize the skits. Part of me also wondered whether I would still be able to imagine the characters and plots if I was seeing the actors perform them in person (where it would just be the actors without costumes/scenery) versus hearing voices on radio.

The show did not disappoint. My friend and I saw the concert in Ravinia, an beautiful outdoor concert venue right outside Chicago. My friend and I got seats in the stadium and not the lawn, which ended up being the best decision given the rain later. We also had a good view of Mr. Keillor and the other show performers. Prior to the actual taping started, the “Prairie Home Companion” band played its staple, upbeat bluegrass /blues music, setting a fun tone consistent with the show’s . About ten minutes before the live show started, Mr. Keillor appeared, singing classical patriotic songs (such as “O Beautiful,” and the national anthem.) He started with “O Beautiful” while walking down the aisle, venturing into the seated area and out into the lawn space. The audience joined in the singing. I appreciated his venturing into the crowd and giving fans the opportunity to see him.

The broadcast began at 5 p.m. CST , and I was excited just thinking that the performance was being heard across the nation at the same time we were seeing it in person. As the show progressed, I was relieved that my seeing the performances live didn’t distract from visualizing the stories . As expected, I loved seeing how the sound effects were created. I was impressed by the voice actor- Fred Newman- who did all the background noise and some of the character voices. In one particular skit, Mr. Keillor is telling a story that has no cohesiveness; he starts with a cowboy then takes the story to submarines, and then a jungle. Mr. Newman provides all the background noises as Mr. Keillor tells the story; over the course of the skit, we hear Mr. Newman’s talent displayed, as he imitates everything from horses to monkeys to the washing machine/dryer. My seeing Mr. Newman in person did not prevent me from automatically thinking about the object he imitated

I liked that the “Guy Noir” skit incorporated Chicago’s culture. Guy Noir was in Chicago, trying to help an elderly worker collect her pension. The skit did an excellent job mocking Chicago’s political issues. Among my favorite jokes: one character calling himself “self-identifying CPA.” Another favorite joke was on Chicagoans food preference; a separate character tries selling hot dogs to Guy Noir. He says to Guy –voiced by Mr. Keillor- that he’s “Free to have anything on the hot dog.” Guy responds, “How about ketchup.” The character responds “Not that free.”

As I watched and listened to the show, I realized the beauty of “A Prairie Home Companion” and other public radio/television broadcasts is that they feature a lot of gifted musicians that aren’t necessarily well known to general public. These individuals may not be as famous as Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, but are much more talented in my opinion. We hear their raw, unfiltered voices, while singers like Taylor Swift often have their voices enhanced by record label producers. In addition to “A Prairie Home Companion’s” wonderful band, the show featured singer John Fullbright, who sang songs that ranged from a rock/country feel to a sweet ballad. I love that his songs conjured up very specific images; one song made me think of a country bar while another made me imagine driving by an ocean, with a car top open and the cool breeze playing.

I absolutely loved Rachel Barton Pine, the violinist whose playing made me realize that what differentiates classical musicians from each other – who are often playing the same piece- is the feeling put into delivering the notes. Ms. Pine certainly put a lot of emotion into the notes she played. The first song he played was so haunting and bittersweet that it brought tears to my eyes. The third musical performer was Elvin Bishop, a blues singer whose songs contained very thoughtful lyrics. One of his songs talked about valuing old school techniques over technology, while another focused on how everyone ages.

Overall, everything about the show- the songs, the skits, the simplicity in execution- reminded me the joys of traditional entertainment. By traditional entertainment, I mean a form relying on raw talent and no marketing flash, one deeply rooted in the art form that’s the basis of human history/culture: storytelling. There’s a certain level of pure pleasure in returning to these roots and which phones and TV shows don’t necessarily provide

If you want to hear the broadcast I attended, here is a link to that show: http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/listen/full/?name=phc/2015/06/20/phc_20150620_128

The post The joy of seeing “A Prairie Home Companion” appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

After a brief hiatus from watching The Wonder Years, I’m back with a recap on the last episode I had watched: “She, My Friend, and I.” Despite the fact that this is another episode featuring Kevin in a love triangle (he ends up in so many it seems), the episode did a great job in providing a different angle on  previous episodes’ themes – how friendship impacts our behavior as well as introducing a new, important takeaway: the importance of acknowledging one’s feelings.

First, I have to hand it to Kevin for being a really good friend in this episode. He has sometimes has acted selfishly towards Paul in previous episodes; however, in this episode, his intentions are completely pure: to make his friend happy. Paul is unhappy because his longtime girlfriend has broken up with him.  Kevin  immediately sets on how he can help. His first suggestion is hysterical:

Adult Kevin narration: Paul was in pain. I had to come up with something sensitive.  

Young Kevin:  Do you want an ice cream sandwich? 

When that doesn’t work, Kevin suggests Paul go out with someone else to make Carla jealous. He suggests various people Paul should date, but Paul refuses them for various reasons (most of them being  on the basis of their head shape).  Paul then mentions Winnie Cooper, since he has been friends with her for a while.  At first, Kevin is a little shocked and hesitant given his past history with Winnie. However, as the episode starts, Kevin has acknowledged that he and Winnie are just friends, and he doesn’t see her as anything else. Therefore, Kevin doesn’t think Paul’s wanting to date Winnie is much of a threat.  Because Paul is too shy to ask Winnie out, Kevin, trying to help his friend, goes and asks Winnie to ask him out. He explains that Paul needs a cheer up and that going out with Winnie would help him.

Source: ABC 

Kevin acts very graciously and selflessly when he sets up Paul with Winnie.  Yet, in the process of thinking about his friend’s feelings, Kevin does not acknowledge his own.  He is perhaps reluctant to admit he likes Winnie since he never seems to make any traction with her. He makes one step forward with Winnie, but then something gets in the way, so he inevitably ends up back at square one. I don’t blame him for being gun-shy in admitting anything. Not admitting feelings spares any hurt in the future.

However, in the process, Kevin’s dishonesty towards himself ends up hurting not only himself but also Winnie and Paul.  Paul asks Kevin multiple times whether Kevin has feelings for Winnie; Paul doesn’t want to go out with Winnie if anything is there. In addition, Winnie seems a little perplexed and disappointed when Kevin suggests the date. Viewers can see in her expressions that she has feelings towards Kevin.  When Paul and Winnie do go out together and end up having a good time, Kevin gets naturally jealous and tries to intervene.  He and Paul end up in an argument in gym class. Meanwhile,  Winnie, who plans another date with Paul, points out to Kevin that it was his idea in the first place.

When I first watched the episode few months ago (I had to re-watch it again for this recap),  I didn’t really like the plot device of matching Paul and Winnie together.  In my second watch, however, I saw that it made sense that Paul and Winnie would naturally get along; both of them seemed to have more fleshed out conversations than Winnie and Kevin did.  Also, my repeat watch made me think that it was natural for Paul to develop a crush on Winnie after spending so much time with her. Most importantly though, I realized the plot brought up an excellent point on human nature: sometimes a threat of losing something is what it takes to be honest with what we want.  Kevin fully admits his feelings for Winnie to himself only after he thinks Paul and Winnie would be a couple.

In the end, Paul and Winnie don’t end up together as Winnie breaks it off with him because she likes Kevin.   Winnie doesn’t outright tell Kevin this -in fact, she gets mad when Kevin tells her that Paul told him (though Paul only conveyed it with a look).  I hope that in the next episode, Winnie and Kevin do end up together as I would be interested in seeing how they acted as a real couple instead of the continuos back and forth.

The post Wonder Years: “She, My Friend, and I” appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

I’ve been prone to watching and reading too much heavy /dramatic stuff, so sometimes my brain just really needs a break. Luckily,  thanks to Netflix (and TBS reruns), I always have Friends reruns to help lighten the mood. I’ve been watching a lot of Friends reruns recently, and have discovered some new things about the show that I hadn’t thought about before (despite having watched episodes millions of times).

The show has remarkable staying power despite the technological and cultural shifts since the first air date.  

The show still remains funny in today’s age – the age of iPhone, texting, Twitter- because the situations/jokes aren’t necessarily tied to the outside world circumstances.   The situations are relatable – dating/marriage problems,  friendships and the jokes are pretty witty. Thus, I find it  still easy to watch, as opposed to Full House reruns, whose jokes seem completely outdated and cheesy decades later.

 Monica and Chandler’s path to marriage is what more shows/movies should depict 

Too many times, Hollywood  depicts a “great” relationship is one stemming from “love at first sight” and eyes meeting eyes, and sparks flying from physical attraction. This depiction, however, misses the reality of relationships, and how the best ones are built on strong friendships between partners. I love that Monica and Chandler highlight this reality by being really good friends first before becoming romantically involved.

Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe) never ages 

I have watched reruns from all ten seasons, and never witness any signs of age in Lisa Kudrow. She looks literally the same in Season 1 as she does in the final tenth season.  I watched Lisa Kudrow’s red carpet interviews at the recent Emmys, and I still thought she looked the same as her Friends days.

Jennifer Aniston is a great comedic actress 

I am not a fan of Jennifer Aniston’s acting in the movies because she plays the same type of character all the time. However, if you completely erased her movie career and focused on her performance in Friends,  you would see how funny she is. Comedy requires a lot of skill- timing, pacing, tone- and she’s definitely nailed it in Friends. Often times, Rachel has some of the funniest lines in the show.   I don’t think Aniston gets enough recognition for this skill because of the publicity surrounding her personal life (especially her marriage to Brad Pitt during her time on the show).

Emily is really mean. 

I never gave much thought to Emily during the first few times I watched the show; I was just hoping that Ross and Rachel would get back together, so ignored her. However, after watching recent episodes where Emily is basically asking Ross to give up seeing Rachel and making him sell his stuff, I realized how unreasonable Emily really is.  I’m particularly annoyed by her behavior because she had a choice at the alter when Ross said another name. If she was that furious and hurt by that, she shouldn’t have married him! Most brides would have done that, especially if the name the groom said was of an ex-girfriend.

Chandler and Joey’s landlord should have fined them for having farm animals as pets 

I’m betting there has to be some type of rule in apartments against having farm animals as pets given how strict buildings are about pets. Given that we’ve seen the duck and the chicken wander in the hallway a couple of times (and the super visit the apartments), the building must have caught on about these “pets” at some point. I am surprised they never had to pay a fine.

Ross was funny but sometimes completely ridiculous 

The first few times I’ve watched reruns, I always felt bad for Ross.  He is a nerd (like me), had some bad luck in marriages, and  lost the girl of his dreams after some poor decision-making (I still don’t know where I stand on the whole “we were on the break” situation).  Nowadays, all though I still empathize with Ross, I have noticed the more ridiculous aspects of his personality. For example, what is he thinking when he asks Rachel to stay married to him and doesn’t tell her after pretending he got the annulment? I am surprised Rachel stayed friends with him after learning the truth.   Another example: Ross, who prides himself in his career, risks it to date one of his students. Again, what the heck Ross?

Image Source: WB, NBC 

The post My New Outlook On Friends appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

Before the movie…

So, there are days when ALL I want to do is just lounge around the house and watch chick flicks. After searching for a film to watch and drink my green tea to, I found this one. I love Jason Sudeikis! The Millers was HILARIOUS! I had NO idea what this film was about (aside from the obvious title) but after seeing this movie, I think it’s now one of my favorites. YAY!

Sleeping with Other People

Release date: September 11, 2015
Director: Leslye Headland
Screenplay: Leslye Headland
Distributor: IFC Films
Producers: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Jessica Elbaum, Sidney Kimmel
Duration: 1 hr 41 min
Genre: Comedy/Romance Comedy
Rated: R

Cast…
Alison Brie … Lainey
Jason Sudeikis … Jake 
Adam Scott …Matthew
Amanda Peet … Paula

Synopsis: “A good-natured womanizer and a serial cheater form a platonic relationship that helps reform them in ways, while a mutual attraction sets in. – IMDb”

What I Liked…

• For starters, it’s your cliche romance film; boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they fall in love, there’s complications, they end up together. It’s the complication part that I LOVED in this film.
• The relationship Jake and Lainey built almost felt real. I know that sounds silly but in most chick flicks, you know the guy and girl fall for each other but for some reason, I just felt like these two REALLY fell for each other on and off screen. I know Jason is married to Olivia Wilde but still! Great acting!
• I enjoyed seeing how much these two cared for each other and to what lengths they’d go to for each other.
• Also, how finding the right one changes you for the better; you learn that the one you love is worth changing for.
• It was interesting seeing these two love each other, however they’re afraid of losing one another and decide to date other people, remain best friends, and maintain their relationship.
• I liked how it shows they never forgot their first true love. That was adorable.
• The birthday party scene. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Jake’s best GUY friend and his wife. HILARIOUS! “Don’t have kids.”
• The end credits. lol So funny.
• OH! I LOVED THAT I DIDN’T CRY! It’s not a Nicholas Sparks film where you need a box of tissues. Your heart hurts, but not dramatically.

What I Didn’t Like…

• Matthew. lol Such a prick.
• The title for this movie? If I had another suggestion, I’d mention it here, but I don’t…at the moment.

My Rating…

I would definitely give this film a 4/5 because I’m a HUGE sucker for chick flicks but I think it’s more because it didn’t make me cry hysterically and was generally a good movie. IMDb gave this film a 6.5. I would have to disagree. I think it deserves a little more than that. If you’re having a girls night, ADD THIS TO YOUR MOVIE LIST! You won’t regret it! I promise!

The post “Sleeping with Other People” Movie Review appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Out with the old and in the with new! I have no idea how everyone’s year went, but for me, it was definitely unexpected, long-overdue, and filled with pure bliss from having the courage to quit my MISERABLE job (I absolutely loved teaching, but my district SUCKED!!!!), meeting the man of my dreams, an unexpected trip to New York and having lunch with Tim Gunn (thanks to my sis, Vanna),  and beginning a new chapter in my life to a career I’ve always wanted, cosmetology! I began this year depressed, yes, depressed and ended the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I’m thankful for my amazing and supporting family, friends, and boyfriend. So, now that that’s over…let’s talk about movies.  This past year was incredible with films such as Avengers: Age of Ultron, MadMax, Ant-Man, Jurassic World, Furious 7, Mockingjay: Part 2, STAR WARS and many others! However, new heroes and villains are in store for us in 2016! Words can’t even explain how long I have waited for this year in cinema. Exhilarated? Anxious? Ebullient? Maybe it’s best in gifs:

My excitement is overflowing, as you can see above. Let’s get down to it. Below are the films I am anxious to see this year along with their release date and trailer (if available). Let me know which movie you’re interested in! Time to mark your calendars!

DO NOTE: THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER BY MONTHS. 

Movies to Watch in 2016:

Deadpool

Release Date: February 12, 2016
Rated: R…times 156481. Please don’t take your kids. Just don’t.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

I wasn’t fond of the idea of Ben Affleck playing Batman until I saw the trailer…rooting for ya dude.

Release Date: March 25, 2016
Rated: PG-13

The 5th Wave

FINALLY! WE BRING BACK ALIENS!

Release Date: January 22, 2016
Rated: PG-13

The Divergent Series: Allegiant

Although I am not fond of the lead actress, I do enjoy the concept of these films.

Release Date: March 18, 2015
Rated: PG-13

Captain America: Civil War

OOOOMMMMMGGGGG!! AAHHH! Must buy Captain America gear ASAP! Or Ironman. NO! BLACK PANTHER! WOO!!

Release Date: May 6, 2016
Rated: PG-13

Dirty Grandpa

This one just looks HILARIOUS!

Release Date: January 22, 2016
Rated: R

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Release Date: January 15, 2016
Rated: R

X-Men: Apocalypse

I’m not a huge fan of Jennifer Lawrence as an actress, but its X-Men. C’mon. And just for the record, she does seem like a cool person to hang with.

Release Date: May 27, 2016

Assassin’s Creed

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THESE GAMES! They’re my favorite! Ahhh!!!!

Release Date: December 21, 2016

No trailer has been released yet.

Zootopia

The sloth!!

Release Date: March 4, 2016
Rated: PG-13

The Huntsman: Winter’s War

Mmmmmmmmm…Chris Hemsworth.

Release Date: April 22, 2016

Star Trek Beyond

Release Date: July 22, 2016

Doctor Strange

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!

Release Date: November 4, 2016

I’m not sure if this trailer is a correct teaser, but it’s still pretty cool!

Suicide Squad

This is one I am anticipating the most. HURRY UP AUGUST!

Release Date: August 5, 2016

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

I really enjoyed the first one so I’m pretty stoked for this one! And Stephen Amell plays Casey Jones?! YAS!

Release Date: June 3, 2016

Finding Dory

I might cry when this one finally comes out. Don’t judge me.

Release Date: June 17, 2016

Now You See Me 2

The first one blew my mind! Hopefully they keep the momentum with this one! Wait, who comes out in the end? NO WAY!

Release Date: June 10, 2016

The Secret Life of Pets

I cannot wait!!

Release Date: July 8, 2016

Angry Birds

I can recall the many months I was addicted to this game… =/

Release Date: May 20, 2016

And there you have it ladies and gentleman! My ridiculously tiny list of films to watch this year! Have a wonderful day and new year!

The post 2016 Movies! Films to catch this year! appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

This is it, everyone. This is the moment we say goodbye to our favorite vampires, witches, and humans in Mystic Falls. Boy, is it an emotional one. Countless sacrifices are made, a hero rises, and another falls, but most importantly… everyone finds peace. So, let’s not waste any more time and get straight to what happened in this epic series finale. Get your tissues ready.

Bonnie’s In-Between

The episode picks up where the last one left off, Stefan trying to revive Bonnie after Vicki ringing the Maxwell Bell sent her to the floor. He tries and tries, but Bonnie just isn’t ready. Instead, we see her in her in-between. She sees Elena and they share a sweet moment until Elena realizes what’s really going on. She remembers the spell that Kai put on them, linking their lives together, and how Elena can only wake up when Bonnie dies. She refuses to let this be the end for Bonnie, and urges her to wake up. Bonnie tells her that it’s okay because she’s ready to be with Enzo again, but then Enzo appears and agrees with Elena. They both convince her that it’s not her time and she wakes up, informing Stefan and Caroline that she saw Elena.

There’s No Stopping Vicki

Damon goes to the clock tower to try to convince Vicki to stop ringing the bell, but she refuses to. Katherine enlisted her to ring the bell 12 times, or every 5 minutes, until 10 pm, bringing hellfire to encompass Mystic Falls and burn everyone in it. If she did this, Katherine promised her a get out of hell free card. Damon tries to go with plan B by trying to kill her multiple times, but she just keeps coming back… because she’s still technically “dead as a doornail.” So, Damon then enlists Matt to convince his sister to stop, but even that doesn’t do it, forcing him to call another “gas leak” evacuation and Damon to go home and try to find another way to stop Katherine with Stefan.

Katherine Returns

When the brothers return to the Salvatore mansion, they notice that Elena’s casket is empty and she’s standing there awake. Her and Damon embrace, but not so fast… this isn’t Elena, it’s Katherine, messing with the Salvatores once again. She gloats about how she’s had Cade under her spell the moment she was sent to hell. The brothers ask her where Elena’s body is, but she doesn’t divulge that information just yet. Stefan manages to find her in the boiler room of the high school, but she’s stuck since Katherine enticed Kai cast a spell, locking her in there with no way out. Ugh… of course.

Katherine Can’t Be Killed & The Better Man

The Mystic Falls gang thought Katherine could be killed by a dagger made from her bones, and while it kills her for a bit, it doesn’t keep her killed. She wakes up with the same attitude she always has. She brags about how her plan to burn Mystic Falls to the ground is about to work out perfectly. Damon tries to fire back, claiming that she’s just still jealous of Elena because he and Stefan would choose Elena over her every time. The comment doesn’t seem to faze Katherine though as she fires back that Elena, herself, and any other woman, would always choose Stefan because he’s “the better man.” OUCH. She really knows how to punch a guy in the goodies, but I think Damon knows that Elena’s heart lies with him.

Bonnie’s Solution

After looking through some of Alaric’s research, Bonnie figures out a way to truly kill Katherine. She wants to let Vicki ring the Maxwell Bell so the hellfire will come, but she wants to immediately send it back to hell through the underground tunnels. Seems simple. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come without a major sacrifice as someone will have to make sure Katherine gets down there and stays down there, ultimately killing whomever takes on that task. Ugh… I do not like where this is going, y’all. It leaves us with an argument between the Salvatore brothers. Being the hero that he typically is, and wanting to atone for his sins, Stefan steps up to the plate. But Damon wants to be the big brother, or rather, the better man, that he’s never really been. UGH! Why do you do this to us, Julie Plec?!

Stefan: “You get to safety. Family first.”

Caroline: “We’re family now. Okay? You and me and the girls. It’s just please, please, don’t make me leave you.”

Stefan: “Please. If I want to convince Damon, I have to move fast, and I can’t do that unless I know you’re safe.” …. “I love you so much.”

Caroline: “I love you, too.”

Bonnie: “I’m gonna go save the world.”

Caroline: “Just don’t do anything stupid, Bonnie Bennett.”

Who Makes the Sacrifice: Stefan or Damon?

So, Stefan meets Damon and Katherine in the tunnel and they argue a bit over who’s going to be the one to sacrifice themselves to save the town. Damon states that he’s doing it for Elena, to pay for his past mistakes. Stefan makes a point that it’s not something that he wants considering he just got married, but he argues that he’s fought to turn Damon “into the man who deserves the happiness that’s out there right now.” They exchange “I love yous” and then Damon compels Stefan to leave, saying he’s sorry he wasn’t a better big brother until now.

Caroline’s Heartbreaking Voicemail

Caroline: “Stefan, please call me. Please. I need you to know that I understand. I love you. I will love you forever. I understand.”

Bonnie Bennett Saves The World

Even after reconnecting with her father, Vicki still rung the bell 12 times, and Matt and their father were forced to watch the bell tower explode with her still in it while they stood on the ground below. Fortunately, with the help of all past Bennett witches and Enzo, Bonnie’s planned worked, and she was able to send the hellfire back to hell through the tunnels. Way to go, Bon Bon!

Compulsion Fail

Grab your tissues, y’all, because things are about to get real emotional! Damon may have compelled Stefan to leave the tunnels, but what Damon didn’t think about was the possibility of Stefan being on vervain. We learn this information when we see Elena and Stefan in the in-between that Bonnie saw her in, only this time, it’s in the high school. When Elena asked what happened with Bonnie, Stefan said that he didn’t know and tells the story of how he went back to the tunnels and gave Damon his blood, making him human, which left Stefan as the one to sacrifice himself. EXCUSE ME WHILE I SOB UNCONTROLLABLY! (Although, I’m not sure how human Damon escaped the hellfire?) Stefan then tells Elena why he did it; he saw the Damon that he knew when he was a boy, and he wanted Elena to be able to get to know that Damon. He also whispers to Elena a message for Caroline, but we don’t find out what it is until later. He then closes out by saying that it was good to see her “one last time” before walking into the white light. MORE TEARS!

Peace

If there’s one thing we all wanted for these characters that have endured so much, it’s that they all find peace. By the end of the finale, literally everyone has found peace in one way or another, and it’s a beautiful thing. As soon as Stefan walked through the high school doors, into the white light, his BFF, Lexi, was waiting for him by his beloved vintage car. Lexi made a comment about how his conversation with Elena (or maybe how he sacrificed himself for Damon?) was beautiful, to which Stefan responded with, “I was feeling epic.”

We’re then taken to Bonnie finding the loophole, that wasn’t supposed to be there, in breaking the spell with Elena and Elena wakes up! They meet up with Damon and the rest of the gang who are saying their goodbyes to Stefan at the family crypt, Damon and Elena have a beautiful reunion, and Elena gives Caroline Stefan’s message, confirming that he got her voicemail and that he’ll love her forever too. UGH! My Steroline loving heart!

Then we seemingly jump to the future a bit and see how everyone’s doing. Matt is still the Sheriff and possibly running for mayor. As he’s accepting a bench in the park in his honor, we see that Vicki and Tyler have found peace together in the afterlife. We then see Alaric and Caroline opening that boarding school with the help of Jeremy, Dorian, and a $3 million donation from Klaus: Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted, at the Salvatore estate. We also see sweet moments of Jo watching over Alaric and the girls and Caroline’s mom watching over Caroline. Bonnie’s finally taking that leap to see the world while Enzo watches over her. Damon and Elena survive through her medical schooling and then move back to Mystic Falls.

Elena in her journal: “I know peace exists. It lives in everyone we hold dear. That is the promise of peace. That one day, after a long life, we find each other again.”

I’m not clear on how much longer they live after that, apparently they get their long and happy lives together, but we see Damon and Elena finding peace in the afterlife as well. Yes, even Damon, who still believed he was going to hell and would never see his brother again. He was wrong, though. Elena reunites with her family, including her parents, Aunt Jenna, and uncle/biological dad John. Damon finally sees Stefan again at the Salvatore house and we get the saying we all know too well, “Hello, brother” Before the series comes to an end.

Job well done to the entire cast, crew and writers of The Vampire Diaries. Thank you for sharing this supernatural world, for making us laugh, weep, and get emotionally attached to fictional characters for 8 seasons.

GIFs: Queen Katherine Pierce, vd-gifs, aurorarebeka, misskathgifs, vampire-diariesgifs

The post The Vampire Diaries 8×16 “I Was Feeling Epic” Series Finale Recap appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

Andi Mack: Review

Missing Gilmore Girls? I may have found a super kid-friendly version. Ok, so that may be a bit of a stretch. It is not Gilmore Girls per say. There is no talking fast filled with rapid-fire references, coffee, or hot diner owner, but Disney Channel’s new show Andi Mack, certainly has a Gilmore Girls-esque theme.

From the creator of Lizzie McGuire, Terry Minsky, comes a story a coming of age dramedy about a creative teen, Andi (played by Peyton Elizabeth Lee), who finds out a big family secret when her cool, motorcycle-riding older sister, Bex (played by Lilian Bowden), decides to move back home on the eve of her 13^th birthday. Here’s the kicker! Turns out, Bex is not her sister, but her mother. And her mom (played by Lauren Tom, remember Julie from Friends? Ross’s girlfriend that he met in China right when Rachel realized her feelings for him?) is actually her grandmother! Talk about adding more on a teenager girl’s plate!

Andi Mack is very reminiscent of old Disney Channel shows such as Lizzie McGuire and Even Stevens where a family is at the center of the show. More particularly, this show portrays a mixed American-Asian family that is very relevant especially with shows like Fresh Off the Boat and Blackish on the air. Not only is there a compelling story to tell, but these young actors are phenomenal! I highly suggest playing special attention to Andi’s friends Cyrus and Buffy (yes, Buffy and yes they do mention her namesake). They are the perfect comical duo! And can we please talk about how pretty Lilian Bowden (Bex) is? I am going to start calling her Asian Lorelai because as you know, there is always a Gilmore reference with me. But seriously, she is really pretty.

The question looming now is will this show eventually end up with the same fate as Girl Meets World? Will it eventually outgrow Disney Channel when the stories eventually develop an adult theme such as teenage pregnancy that is unsuitable for the Disney Channel demographic? I guess we will have to wait and see. Until then, I cannot wait for watch the next episode (airs Sunday, April 9!)

Andi Mack premieres Friday, April 7 on Disney Channel or you can watch the pilot episode now here!

The post Disney Channel’s Andi Mack Pilot “13” Review appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

Adina here, your friendly neighborhood theater fan! I’m back again with more theater stories! You can check out my BroadwayCon article or everything I did in 2016.

Other than BroadwayCon, January (into early February, but some shows still gave out January Playbills, so it counts) brought me to four shows: Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (sometimes just known as The Great Comet); Puffs; On Your Feet; and Waitress.

First up was Great Comet, which I’d bought tickets for not long after the box office opened last summer. Les Mis was still playing at the Imperial then, but they were selling advance tickets for Comet. Well, what a spectacle this was! They did major renovations on the theater. There wasn’t one proscenium stage; instead, the “staging area” was all over, with staircases and walkways all the way up to the mezzanine and balcony. The cast was phenomenal, including Josh Groban, who was the titular Pierre. One standout in particular was Lucas Steele, who plays Anatole, the playboy. He, and Denee Benton, the titular Natasha, were incredible. The plot is taken from a bit of Tolstoy’s War and Peace and takes place in 19th century Russia.

During BroadwayCon, I decided against attending some of the evening programming in favor of the 9:30 Saturday night showing of Puffs, which is a hilarious off-Broadway parody of Harry Potter. The tagline is “Potter changed the World of Wizards forever. The Puffs were also there.” It’s about 100 minutes of non-stop action and hilarity. Takes place over the entire 7 years of the Harry Potter story we all know, shown through the eyes of the Hufflepuffs. It was in a small theater, very intimate, and what a fun show. There are several actors blatantly playing different characters and it’s a wild ride. Highly recommended to any Potter fans.

The following weekend, it was into the Marriott Marquis to visit their in-house theater for the story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan: On Your Feet. This is a bioplay, telling the story of Gloria and Emilio and their musical journey. I didn’t know that many of the songs beforehand, but it is all of their hits. The actors, especially the ones playing Gloria and Emilio, were fantastic. The first act closed with “Conga” and the dancers came down off the stage to dance with the audience members in the aisle! How I wish we were sitting in the orchestra this time, instead of the mezzanine.

Sunday was time for Waitress, which we tried to get to before Jessie Mueller left at the end of March. With discount tickets and other plans, this was the best time to go. Good news is we got in before she officially left. Bad news is, Stephanie Torns, the understudy was on that day. Stephanie was wonderful as Jenna, though, so it wasn’t disappointing at all. I’d also seen her perform “Bad Idea” when Waitress was at Broadway in Bryant Park.

Bonus was Dakin Matthews, playing the diner’s owner Joe (played by Andy Griffith in the movie). Matthews had played Headmaster Charleston in Gilmore Girls, including the revival! It was fun to see him. I had previously seen him years ago at a Shakespeare in the Park production of All’s Well That Ends Well so I knew he had been around NY theatre.  Another fun thing was that as part of the concession stand, we could actually get little mini pies in mason jars! I enjoyed this show a lot and I would love to see it again. Right now, Sara Bareilles (singer/songwriter and music & lyrics for Waitress) is starring as Jenna, but tickets are pricey, so I may not catch her in it. Also in Waitress now, starring as Earl, Jenna’s good-for-nothing husband? Will Swenson, formerly Berger in Hair and Javert in the recent revival of Les Mis. Hair is one of my favorites, possibly second only to Newsies. I was a huge fan of the 2009 revival and it’s still in regular rotation on my playlist. Here’s hoping I see Waitress again as well as Swenson in something soon!

Next time, join me for my “High Adventure” of seeing Aladdin as well as In Transit. Also in February? Multiple viewings of the filmed stage production of my fave Newsies.

The post 2017 Theater – Great Comet, Puffs, On Your Feet, Waitress appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

Casual is a show that has a tendency to sneak up on you slowly. Just like any good Jason Reitman film (he’s one of the show’s executive producers), its particular hold on character and the eccentricities of those characters in a normal state of being, feels both comforting and entertaining. But it doesn’t move particularly fast. You have to wait for the more exciting moments to be doled out to you at the most perfect times. The Season 3 premiere is no exception to this, and while it does take some slower moments to bring you back into the story after a hiatus, a twist ending feels just right and sets up the story for the rest of the season.

When we left Alex, Val, and Laura last season, they were spending the final moments with their father/grandfather as they assisted him with his choice to end his life. It was a finale that was wrought with emotional turmoil and seemed to bring the trio closer together, without hindering Val from making the ultimate decision that her and Laura needed to move out and start over on their own. When we are reunited with these characters in Season 3, there is a riff between Alex and Val that is not just physical. However, that separation does not keep them from showing their codependency. We open on a moment that cuts back and forth between Val and Alex’s separate conversations about one another, each of them making it clear that they feel the other is the dependent pawn in their relationship. By the time we do finally get them in a room together, their relationship feels strained, each of them relying heavily on small talk to get through a cringe-worthy dinner.

Without being able to play their normal roles in each others lives as oddly close siblings, they take on surrogate individuals to fill in the gap. For Alex, that’s Hans, a German man who is renting out a room in his home as he “dabbles in hospitality” with Airbnb. Alex quickly becomes invasive in Hans’s personal space while he stays in Val’s old bedroom (at one point Hans exits the shower to find Alex loitering in his bedroom doorway as he would’ve done with Val). He even forces him into an awkward breakfast where he expounds his current mental state with little to no response from Hans (he doesn’t give him much time to talk). Alternatively, Val is left to deal with her new landlord Tina (Jamie Chung), who is taking a very lax approach to fixing Val’s broken sink – her handyman is currently out on a “soul searching expedition” and she doesn’t want to interrupt him unless it’s really important. And just as Val would’ve done with Alex, she continues to be pleasant and goes along with Tina’s laid-back attitude, despite the dishes piling up in her sink.

It isn’t until a conversation that Laura has with her Dad, Drew, that the core story of the episode is set into motion. When he asks her if she wants him to come to her grandfather’s memorial, she’s confused – what memorial? Cut to Val and Alex scrambling through his mail that has been piling up (he calls it a “lifestyle choice”). Buried in the mound they find the invite from their mother, with a note scrawled in her handwriting – “Please bring your father.” Alex and Val are rightfully offended that she wants him back after abandoning him in his final moments and agree that she will not get his ashes. But in true Alex fashion, by the time the memorial service rolls around, he shows up with his cremated father in hand (after a conversation with his therapist, Jennifer, he feels more closure with the situation, and is willing to give his mother the “memory” of her husband). His failure to consult Val about this newfound rightfulness causes the riff between them to deepen and finally implode – “Even when I’m gone, you manage to punish me.”

A moment of tentative reconciliation does come when the pair discusses their final conversations with their father. While he told Val, “Sorry we weren’t closer, but maybe it’s for the best,” he left Alex with the sentiment that “you have your sister and that’s a real love.” – Moments that end up being undeniable clues to a part of their relationship that they have yet to uncover. Then, just as Alex makes moves to steal their father’s ashes back, their mother (always the scene stealer) makes her speech to the guests. One that culminates with her dropping a bomb on everything Val knows about her personal identity, as she is not in fact her father’s daughter – “For him to take me in as a single pregnant woman and raise my daughter as his own, that speaks to his depth and his preponderance of character and for that our family will be eternally grateful.”

Ultimately, in the greatest (and final) moment of the episode, Laura breaks into hysterical laughter. Bringing us back to the tone and humor that this sweet and special show is best known for, before cutting to black.

Images via Hulu

The post Casual Recap: 03X01 – “Ashes to Ashes” appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

I’ve spent countless hours watching TV over the course of twenty plus years. During that time, I not only got to watch some quality storylines but also learned a great deal of random facts about the TV shows, actors, and production process. I’ve collected the random TV Trivia like people collect cars or stamps. All of this knowledge is complete fluff and useless in real life conversations. Most people I know aren’t as into the TV trivia as I am, so it’s not as if I can randomly insert into the conversation.

However, last year,  I was suddenly able to use all the random information for relevant a fun purpose. I attended the ATX TV Festival (see my post about the experience here), whose attendees were all TV nerds like myself.  One of the events at the ATX TV Festival was a trivia night. The trivia night was run by Geeks Who Drink, a national organization that runs TV Trivia nights every week across the country.  This trivia night finally allowed me to delve into my useless knowledge for good use. Though our team didn’t win, I enjoyed having to pick my brain to  remember facts and make educated guesses.

If you plan on attending the ATX TV Festival or a Geeks who Drink event one night (check their site here for listings of where they host close to you), here is some TV Trivia worth knowing to prepare yourself. You also may never know when you will need it beyond those venues.  You’d be surprised how TV talk can often help you bond with strangers and make new friends (my personal experience is a great example).

1) The Full House producers originally wanted Bob Saget for Danny Tanner. However, Bob Saget wasn’t available for the initial pilot. The first pilot, therefore, features another actor, John Posey, as Danny Tanner.  When Saget was available, Posey was no longer Danny.

2) Courtney Cox was the only member of the Friends cast to never be nominated for An Emmy award.

3) When TV ratings was the only way to gauge how many people watched a show, MASH had the highest viewers watching the series finale, with 105 million tuning into the last show. Following MASH were Cheers at 84.4 million, and then Seinfeld.

4) The first US President to appear on TV was FDR. He spoke on April 30, 1939 at the World Fair in New York. Harry Truman was the first President to make the first televised presidential address in the White House.

5) After Golden Girls ended on NBC, CBS picked up its spin-off, The Golden Palace. In the spinoff, Dorothy was no longer in the show (she moved with the husband she married in series finale of The Golden Girls), and the remaining characters (Rose, Blanche, Sophia) move  from their house into a hotel they bought.  The show only lasted one season but featured the now well-known actor Don Cheadle.

6)  Before playing the quirky and noise neighbor Babette on Gilmore Girls, Sally Struthers played Gloria, on the groundbreaking show All in the Family series. After the series ended, she guest starred in the spin off series, Archie Bunker’s Place, and the additional spinoff, Gloria. 

7) All in the Family spawned the most spinoffs. In addition to Archie Bunker’s Place and Gloria, other shows that spun off from it included Maude (which spun off  Good Times, though the character history from Maude to Good Times changed a bit), The Jeffersons, Checkin’ In, and 704 Houser Street

8) The longest running (non-animated) TV Character is Frasier Crane. Kelsey Grammer played the role for nine seasons on Cheers, and then subsequently 11 seasons on its spinoff Frasier. Frasier  Crane also made a guest appearance on another hit TV show, Wings.

9) Viola Davis is the first African-American woman to win Emmy for best leading actress in a drama.  The Emmys awarded her based on performance in How to get Away with Murder.

10) Before starring together on Saved by the Bell as Screech and Zach respectively, actors Dustin Diamond and Mark Paul Gosselaar- each made appearances on The Wonder Years

11) Today, Pat Sajak and Vanna White host Wheel of Fortune and the show airs in the evening. However, Chuck Woolery (later known as the Love Connection host) was the original host of Wheel of Fortune while Susan Stafford was the letter turner.  The show premiered in 1975 and was originally  a daytime series (like Price is Right is now).   When Woolery  left, Sajak/White took over the daytime series.  The primetime version with Sajak and White first aired in 1983.  The original daytime version was cancelled in 1991, leaving the primetime version  we have today.

12) Every Seinfeld episode had a different opening song to match the episode’s opening monologue content.

13) The mini-series Roots, based off the novel written by Alex Haley, created several groundbreaking moments when it aired.  It was the first mini-series to air seven days in a row (networks previously aired a mini-series episode once a week), the first to receive at least twenty major Emmy nominations, and the first show to get all nominations in acting.

14) TV shows often start off with one title but end up having another title by the time they hit the air. Some popular changes:  Saturday Night Live started as NBC’s Saturday Night, Six of Us became Friends, Lost could have been Nowhere,  and This is Us was  36.

15) Before he played Carlton on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Alfonso Ribiero played Rick Schroder’s best friend on Silver Spoons.

The post TV Trivia To Have in Your Back Pocket appeared first on Really Late Reviews.

HELLO EVERYONE!!

I’m finally back! With finishing cosmetology school, getting a new job, getting engaged (I KNOW!! I’M SO EXCITED!!), and wedding planning, my day’s have been INSANELY occupied. However, my fiance and I still make time to get away from reality and go to the movies frequently. This past Friday, we went to go see Wonder Woman. This was a film neither one of us wanted to pass up.

Initial Thoughts:

Prior to seeing this film, I had honestly lost hope for all future DC films. NONE had met my expectations other than the Dark Knight Trilogy. I found myself doubting this film but hoping it wouldn’t be disappointing like films before. Green Lantern, seriously? Suicide Squad, eh. BvS, pure shit. Man of Steel, I did enjoy, but felt the destruction was overstated. We get it. I recall telling Omar, “If Wonder Woman isn’t good, I’ll never watch another DC movie. Ever.” And I meant that. I was tired of being disappointed over, and over, and over again. Could this movie alter my thoughts on DC movies to come? Who knew. Despite feeling this way, knowing that a Wonder Woman movie was underway, knowing that a strong, charismatic, empathetic female lead would take over the screen, was exhilarating. Have we seen other films with a strong female lead? Yeah. But none like this. As you can read, I had mixed emotions. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed so much for a movie TBH. I hoped to see a woman that my future little girl (or even boy for that matter) could look up to and say, “I wanna be like her!” I hoped to see someone I would look up to! Once a date was released, the countdown began, and my anxiety began to rise.

Wonder Woman

Rating: PG-13
Duration: 2h 21m
Director: Patty Jenkins
Production Companies: DC Entertainment Inc, Atlas Entertainment, Cruel and Unusual Films, Tencent Pictures, Wanda Media
Screenplay: Geoff Johns, Allen Heinburg
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction

Cast:

Diana Prince … Gal Gadot
Steve Trevor … Chris Pine
Antiope … Robin Wright
Ares … David Thewlis
General Ludendorff … Danny Huston
Doctor Poison … Elena Anaya
Hippolyta … Connie Nielsen

Synopsis: Diana Prince, daughter of Hippolyta, brought to life by Zeus, princess of the Amazons, spends her life training with the fiercest Amazonian warriors for their biggest foe, Ares, God of War, who brought destruction on the people of Earth centuries ago. Since then, Zeus has protected them from the world by creating their own paradise, shielded by an invisible dome from those all around where no one, not even Ares can find them. However, that protection shield is broken one day during training when Diana accesses a deeper power from within her she didn’t know existed. Now, that they are no longer concealed, Diana discovers the horrors of the outside world, and the war destroying all that is good. The only one capable of ending this tragedy, is Wonder Woman but is she truly ready to fight these unknown enemies? Does she have what it takes to be a hero? Can she be Wonder Woman?

Likes:

• The Character Development: This was a coming-of-age movie where we see her origin. Yas! I loved seeing her grow and learn as she sets herself on this journey. It wasn’t like other superhero characters where they’re just INCREDIBLE from the get-go. She continues to learn about herself, her powers, the life outside, culture, etc. She’s extremely naive and has to learn about this new society.She isn’t perfect. Great! Because neither are we!!

• Fighting Sequences: The fighting choreography was SPOT ON!! She makes everything look flawless and doesn’t even break a sweat! Girl, I’m dying after walking a mile.

• The chemistry: I felt the chemistry between Diana and Steve was genuine. It didn’t feel awkward. You could feel and see they truly cared for each other. I mean, could you blame them? It’s Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. Pfft. I’d fall for them. I also liked the chemistry between the crew Diana goes and fights with. They seemed to get along quite nicely!

• Cinematography: The scenes in this film were stunning. Director Patty Jenkins clearly had a vision and executed it with perfection.

• Costumes & Set Pieces: This was probably my favorite part. The costumes were great, Wonder Woman looked like a BOSS, and the sets were phenomenal! Lots of thought was put into this film. Thank you!

• The Beginning & Ending Loop: This was something I was concerned about. I wondered how they were going to give the audience her backstory. Were they just going to start from her beginning? From the war? When Zeus gave her life? But no, the whole movie is a flashback to a picture Bruce Wayne sends her. This was clever. Good job.

• The Colors: This might not be something one looks at, but I totally do. The use of colors in this film was fantastic! There’s a scene in the movie, as well as the trailer, where she’s wearing a bold, blue dress in a sea of uniformed men (with other woman in dresses) but I found this particular scene to be phenomenal because blue represents serenity, calmness, loyalty, faith, and trust She’s trying to calm the situation of the war, stay loyal to her people, have faith in herself, and to trust those aiding her. SUCH A PERFECT SCENE! OMG! The use of colors in this film was great.

Dislikes:

• Most of the villains in the superhero cinematic universe haven’t been AMAZING. Most of them I must reiterate. This is the case in this film. There is more than one villain in the movie and none of them are good representations of what a villain should be. Nonetheless, she does have several foes.

• That’s pretty much it. OH! And the fact that there was no extra credit scene. WTF.

Final Thoughts:

I’m glad to say Wonder Woman completely surpasses my initial thoughts. I would watch this movie over and over again. I want my future kids to look up to her. I believe she’s a great role model for everyone and NOW I’m looking forward to the Justice League. There’s a lot to learn from Diana Prince; to believe in yourself, work as a team, fight what you believe in, etc. Can we just have Patty Jenkins director EVERY DC movie from now on? K Thanks!

My Rating:

Trailer:

What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!!

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Heath Ledger was best known for his roles in the popular movies “10 Things I Hate About You”, “The Patriot”, “A Knight’s Tale”, “Lords of Dogtown”, “Brokeback Mountain”, and his final film “The Dark Knight.” To the world he was seen as an incredibly talented young, Australian actor, but to his friends and family he was so much more. He was an artist, a giver, a son, a brother, a friend, a lover, and a father. He was someone who was passionate about his work, his art, his friends, and his family.

Sadly, Heath died on January 22, 2008 at just 28 years old from an accidental overdoes of a combination of prescription medicines. Leading up to his death, he battled with chronic insomnia, pneumonia and exhaustion, which is what the combination of drugs were prescribed for, according to People. He was not using the drugs recreationally.

On May 17, 2017, Spike Network aired a feature length documentary titled “I Am Heath Ledger” in which friends and family speak about the beloved and missed actor. They share memories and details of how Heath chose to live his life, what kind of person he was, some of his struggles, and they even recount that fateful day of finding out that he died. The documentary also provides personal footage and photos that Heath documented himself, giving the fans a closer glimpse into his life.

Synopsis

“I AM HEATH LEDGER is a feature length documentary celebrating the life of Heath Ledger: actor, artist and icon. The documentary provides an intimate look at Heath Ledger through the lens of his own camera as he films and often performs in his own personal journey – extravagant in gesture and in action. It was his creative energy and unshakable willingness to take risks that instilled such an extraordinarily deep love and affection in the people that entered his life. Heath’s artistic nature and expression set him apart from the Hollywood mainstream, vaulted him to stardom and endeared him to the world.” – iamheathledger.com

Thoughts

As a fan of Heath Ledger – and as someone who doesn’t typically watch documentaries – I really enjoyed this intimate glimpse into his life and the kind of person he was. Heath seemed to be a genuinely good human being all around – caring deeply for his friends and family while simultaneously having a passion for the art of film and all that it had to offer. His loved ones spoke so highly of him, and I believe that says a lot about who someone is. In the end, it’s not really about the movies made, but rather the impact you left behind on those closest to you, that matters most. Even though he died too soon, Heath left behind an iconic legacy for his daughter, Matilda, filled with personal videos and good memories from his loved ones. He may have had his struggles and personal demons just like everyone does, but he didn’t let that control his life, and it’s also not what took his life. I hope that’s what people take away from this documentary so they remember him as a warrior who battled his demons while simultaneously being passionate about life and art, not as someone whose demons won the battle.

You can watch the trailer and order a copy of the documentary at iamheathledger.com

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Guess who, your friendly neighborhood theater fan! I’m trying to get caught up on all my experiences this year! You can always read the rest of my adventures in theater or check out March here. Okay, April! I have a lot of stories for April. Seven, to be exact.

Let’s start in Jersey, with one of my favorite places: Paper Mill Playhouse. This is where Newsies started in 2011. They won a Tony award in 2016 for Best Regional Theatre. Currently on Broadway are two shows that had their world premiere at Paper Mill: A Bronx Tale and Bandstand (more on that one later). This time, they were showing Million Dollar Quartet, which is about a legendary night at Sun Records in Memphis, TN. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis all got together and jammed for the one and only time. I was mostly interested in this particular production because Alex Boniello, who had been Moritz in Deaf West’s Spring Awakening revival in 2015. I also knew a lot of the music from that era. What was fun about this show was the other actors playing the musicians — specifically Nat Zegree, who played Jerry Lee and Scott Moreau, who played Johnny Cash — make a living playing these people specifically. Scott’s voice sounded so much like Johnny Cash, you’d swear it was the real thing. And Nat was filled with so much energy as the young Jerry Lee Lewis, it was almost tiring just watching him!

The following weekend, it was back to NY two days in a row! Saturday brought me to Roundabout Theatre Company’s off-Broadway house, the Laura Pels Theater. I’d seen Love, Love, Love here in November as well as The Robber Bridegroom in April 2016. This time, it was a play called If I Forget about a Jewish family and how they relate to one another. It was good to see with the group I went with; I think we all recognized members of our family in that play. Roundabout always puts on good or interesting shows.

Sunday was a two-show day! I ventured outside of my usual area over to the east side to see the off-Broadway play The Hairy Ape at Park Avenue Armory. This play got excellent reviews, both from critics and people I knew who saw it, so I figured it was interesting enough to check out. The main reason I went, though, was that Tommy Bracco (Spot in the OBC and filmed stage version of Newsies) was in the ensemble and I wanted to go support him. I’m glad I went, especially for Tommy, but it’s definitely not my usual preference. It was more of a spoken-word performance with dance, rather than a linear play with a plot. Bobby Canavale, who played the main character of Yank, was mesmerizing. The set was minimal, and rolled in and out. The space is huge and is set up like bleachers looking down on a black floor. Naturally, I kept picking out Tommy every time the ensemble was onstage!

Back in the theater district, I visited the Circle in the Square theater for In Transit’s last performance and got to wish the cast well. Also got to say hi to Justin Guarini, who didn’t come out when I saw the show in February. Then next door to the Gershwin to see if I could catch Kara Lindsay after Wicked. Luckily, she came out! She signed my Newsies book, and I got to tell her I loved seeing her in the stage movie and she was my favorite Katherine. Also got to tell her that I’d just seen Tommy’s play and she was a little envious on that; she wouldn’t have time to see it. She’s amazing, though, and I hope to see her as Glinda again soon.

Then I caught the 7pm showing of Significant Other before it closed. Well, I don’t know what I expected from this, but I certainly didn’t expect it to feel so relevant! The play concerns the lives of four college friends and their search for relationships. Three of the friends, Kiki, Vanessa and Laura, all age 29, are engaged and are preparing for their respective weddings. Their college friend, Jordan Berman, is seeking a boyfriend of his own, and hoping to be as lucky in love as his friends are. Jordan Berman confides in his grandmother, played by Barbara Barrie. From the empty seats in the mezzanine, I’m not surprised it closed. What I am surprised about is that it didn’t have more audience members! It really was brilliant, emotional, and relatable. The fact that Gideon Glick didn’t get a Tony nom for Best Actor in a Play was shocking. I was originally not planning to stage door after, because it was a Sunday night and there wasn’t anyone in particular I needed to see. However, after that incredible performance, I had to go to the stage door to say hi and thank you to the actors. Fun tidbit: also in attendance that evening? Mike Faist and Will Roland of Dear Evan Hansen fame.

The following week, it was finally time to see the Broadway production of Bandstand. I’d seen this when it premiered at Paper Mill in October 2015 and was blown away. They announced a Broadway transfer around that time and we didn’t hear anything until almost a full year later! They announced a good sale for Cyber Monday, so I jumped on it with my friend Meredith who I’d seen it with at Paper Mill. When the marquees went up at the Jacobs theatre, I kept going to “visit” the building just because it made me so happy that it was there. Now after all that waiting, it was time to see the Broadway version of the show. Well, not only did they keep everything that was great about the original, they tightened it up, changed some songs, and just overall made it better. I knew immediately I’d have to see it multiple times. Again with the Tony nominations — Corey Cott should have gotten a nom for Best Actor in a Musical. (But no one asked me!) He was that good. Everyone was — Laura Osnes, the other musicians in the band, Beth Leavel, who plays the mom to Laura’s character — but especially Corey is leading that band and pouring his heart out onstage 8 times a week. The show deservedly did get nominated for best choreography (Andy Blankenbuehler (of Hamilton choreography fame) and best orchestrations. Bandstand is not, contrary to the title, a jukebox musical about the Dick Clark era. The musical takes place in the 1940s, and centers around Donny Novitski, just back from serving in WWII, and he puts together a band of fellow vets, featuring the lovely voice of Mrs. Julia Trojan, whose late husband was Donny’s best friend overseas. The piece is so powerful and deals with issues we are still dealing with – how to respect vets and PTSD.

We got to see Corey and Laura after the show, at the stage door, and tell them how wonderful it was, and that we’d seen it back at Paper Mill. I also told Corey he was my favorite Jack. (Which, after much analyzing and discussion with my friend Macrae the following day, that is true and it isn’t at the same time. They all brought something so different to the role that they’re all my favorite.) One fun thing that happened is while we were at the stage door waiting for the actors, some of the ensemble members were hanging out of their dressing room windows facing the street calling down to us. One of them recorded us on their phone, the whole crowd in unison saying “We love Bandstand!”

On a Wednesday night late in the month, 54 Below was having a concert of Ed Sheeran songs. Normally, that wouldn’t interest me that much — I don’t mind Ed Sheeran’s music, but it’s not top of my list. However, this was full of former Newsies attending, and you know I can’t resist that. Josh Burrage, Ben Cook, Kaitlyn Frank, Iain Young, Jon Hacker, Adam Kaplan… so many Newsies. My preferred seating area was open and there was a 35% off Flash Sale. Well, I suppose that settled it. I bought a ticket. Then, the day before the concert, they announced a special MC: Tommy Bracco! It was a fun show and I knew more Sheeran songs than I thought I did. But then I got to see all my faves after. I gave them hugs and we took pictures and I even got Adam Kaplan (who was in both the Broadway and touring casts) to sign my Newsies book! (I found a few pictures of Iain in the book after I got home… next time!) I introduced myself to Shoshana Feinstein and Ashlee Latimer, who are frequent producers at 54 Below and often put their faves in shows. Luckily for me, their faves also happen to be mine. Said Ashlee, “Don’t worry about [mixing up her and Shoshana]! We both have dark hair and are often surrounded by Newsies.” I think that’s my dream.

Finally, the very last day in April, I was back for a Sunday evening show. This time I headed up to the Winter Garden to rock out with the kids of School of Rock. Alex Brightman, who originated the role of Dewey Finn, was back in the role for about 2 weeks. Luckily, I was free that evening and picked up a ticket to go see his last show. It was also a new group of kids from when I’d seen it last fall, which was exciting. I’d seen the alternate as Dewey in September, Will Blum. He was excellent, but I was looking forward to seeing Alex in the role. Well, I was hardly disappointed. I think it was actually more fun this time because I knew the songs. It’s such a rocking good time. Alex was fun after, at the stage door, too. I was wearing my “Wayward AF” shirt and he asked me what it meant, so I told him a little about the “wayward” campaign and how it related to Supernatural. He started busting on me a little, asking why he should watch it. When I gave him reasons, he asked if I was the publicity manager. It was all in good fun, but he said he was going to start watching and then blame me if he doesn’t like it. Gladly, Alex. I will take full responsibility if it’s not your thing.

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Revisiting an old TV show can have mixed results. Sometimes an old favorite lives up to the hype that you’ve held around it for years, and other times it falls flat. At the October Road reunion at the ATX Television Festival this year, executive producer Scott Rosenberg recounted co-creator Josh Applebaum’s concern about this outcome when it came time to re-watch a few episodes of their show (that originally aired in 2007), “I was expecting it to be really mortifying, but it was really good.” And for the fans watching in the audience as the festival played episode 01×06 – “Best Friend Windows” that sentiment seemed to ring true. It didn’t hurt that the episode is a clear shining moment of the series, with Nick confessing his love for Hannah on her front porch. It’s a moment that has been built up for the entirety of the short first season, and it also gives a little more information into the central mystery of the show (who is Sam’s dad). But ultimately, it’s a good example of the true heart of the show that carried through the entirety of the series and was the perfect set up for a sentimental reunion of the cast and creators.

While both the fans and the show’s creative team in attendance for the reunion seemed to be feeling some serious nostalgia over the return to Knight’s Ridge, it was important to note that the program inherently held a certain level of nostalgic sentiment even at the time it originally aired. Geoff Stults (Eddie Latekka) recalled living with all of the other cast members, and being “nostalgic about a show that hadn’t even aired yet,” and executive producer André Nemec reasoned that the show “reminds a lot of people of their own lives and their own friends.” Additionally, the storyline that focused on Physical Phil and his agoraphobia post 9/11 “was a nice metaphor for how a lot of people felt at that time” according to Jay Paulson. But nothing takes you on a trip down memory lane quite like the music that held the show together. The producers noted that music was so important to the core of the show that every needle-drop was written into the scripts. Additionally, playlists were made, and every song to ever appear on the show was transferred onto an iPod for each of the actors as a wrap gift.

The creators also took a moment to discuss the difficulty of getting the show on the air and keeping it there. “It’s a show about guys who run a window shop, if you’re wondering why we got cancelled,” Josh joked. While the first season was a short order (only 6 episodes), the network went bigger with the second, only to have it cancelled after the second season finale due to poor timing leading into the writer’s strike. But that wasn’t the beginning of the troubles that the show faced. Originally the network chose not to pick it up, and the team had to secure additional financing to get it to air. Rebecca Field even pointed out that she wasn’t in the original pilot as her character Janet. To this point, André acknowledged the fact that at the time there were fewer networks and the stakes were much higher when it came to taking a risk on a show.

Ultimately, the cancellation didn’t stop the cast and crew from giving the fans a proper ending, which Odette Annable pointed out, doesn’t happen very often, “Nobody got paid for it. It was all a labor of love. We did it because we love the show and we love each other so much.” In the same vein, Jay Paulson added that he remembered the show so fondly because [as a team] “we were greater than the sum of our parts.” Scott Rosenberg even noted that the show was special enough that he would have gladly gone on writing this show for the rest of his career.

So here’s to those special shows. The ones that touch us in a way that keep us coming back to revisit them 10 years later, hoping to relive a moment in time, and a feeling that cannot be replicated.

October Road is available to stream on Hulu and for digital download via iTunes and Amazon.

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The Queen’s Justice

Top 5 Moments

Jon Snow & Daenerys Targaryen Meet

Finally after 6 seasons Jon and Dany finally met and it was everything we could have hoped for and more. Not only were they having continuous eye sex with each other but both displayed how stubborn they equally are. Jon refused to call Dany his queen and bend the knee and Dany refused to call Jon king.

Sir Davos on the other hand proved just how awesome he is. Missandei introduced Dany by her what seems like 100 million titles and Sir Davos, well his introduction of Jon was absolutely classic “This is Jon Snow.” followed by “he is King of the North.” I mean he really nailed it and gave us fans a good laugh.

Dany tried to get Jon to join her side and fight Cersei but Jon had other ideas. He need’s the dragonglass, so he explains to Dany about the incoming war with the White Walkers. Although she doesn’t believe him Tyrion convinces her that he is a trustworthy man and that she should help him.

Now it is just a waiting game to see what happens with these two. I think something will happen between them, so let’s hope we can get some info from Bran.

Cersei’s Revenge

We know from the last episode that Euron promised a gift to Cersei and that gift of course was Ellaria and Tyene. Cersei locked them up and poisoned Tyene the same way that Ellaria poisoned Cersei’s daughter Myrcella. She told Ellaria that she will now watch her daughter die. For the first time I think through the entire series I have actually liked Cersei, Myrcella didn’t deserve to die, she was a sweet girl who was nothing like her mother and certainly did not deserve to die for anything Cersei has done.

Ellaria needed to be punished for that and I think it was quite the appropriate way to do it. Although you could argue that Tyene doesn’t deserve to be punished for what her mother had done but Cersei needed Ellaria to feel how it made her feel to lose her daughter.

Bran returns to Winterfell

A very unimpressed and creepy looking Bran finally returned home to Winterfell. Sansa greeted him a big hug tears pouring while Bran kept straight faced and seemed to give zero care whatsoever.

Out by the Weirwood tree Bran and Sansa are talking and instead of them having a happy sibling reunion Bran proceeds to tell Sansa he is now the three eyed raven, saw her getting raped on her wedding night and pointed out how beautiful she looked. Wow, hello savage Bran what happened to you. Sansa of course walks away quite upset at Bran’s odd admission.

Sansa informs Bran that Jon has set off to meet the dragon queen. Bran tells her he needs to talk to him, I am assuming of course that he wants to talk about the whole R + L = J thing. Like, really Jon? you couldn’t wait a couple more days for Bran to get there.

Hopefully Bran can reach Jon in some way before he engages in the hanky panky with his own aunt.

Casterly Rock & R.I.P Olenna Tyrell

Dany decided to send Grey Worm and The Unsullied to take Casterly Rock from the Lannisters. Upon killing all the soldiers that were there and taking Casterly, Grey Worm grows concerned that there were suppose to more Lannister soldiers. We then learn that the Lannister’s knew of the attack and had taken their most strongest soldiers and headed towards High Garden. The gave up Casterly Rock to Dany but not for free, they took something from her also.

Jamie lead the army to High Garden where they took out their army and he had a one on one with one of the most amazing characters Game of Thrones has had, Olenna Tyrell. She knew what was coming, she knew that Jamie was there to end her life. Olenna didn’t put up a fight, she drank the poison Jamie had given her and accepted her fate. But not before letting Jamie in on a few truths that was absolutely amazing to watch.

She asked Jamie what is was like to watch his son Joffrey die by poison. She told him to tell Cersei that it was her, Olenna was the one that poisoned Joffrey. The way she so calmly said it just to crush the Lannister’s one last time made for a pretty awesome scene.

Olenna was an amazing character and its such a shame that we had to lose her but that Dany has now lost a huge part of her army. I guess this proves that its best to stay close with the side you are fighting for or you might get a visit from the enemy.

Jorah is cured!

All that skin peeling Sam did in the last episode seem’s to have helped as he has cured Jorah. The cure was quite simple and what we nowadays take for granted, it was all just the plain old germ theory. Remove the infected area, plaster with a salve that kills the greyscale germs and wallah greyscale cured.

The handshake the two share is very heartening. Sam doesn’t recoil from Jorah despite his state and sweet on Jorah for the extra hand he places over Sam’s, a sign of his gratitude for the first bit of human contact he’s had in some time and for the maester-in-training’s sacrifices on his behalf.

The Archmaester compliments Sam on his accomplishment much to Sam’s surprise. But rewards him with a table to scrolls to copy.

Honorable Mentions

• Drogon flying over Jon and Sir Davos as they arrive at Dragonstone. It was cool to see their reactions as I’m sure this is the first time either of them have seen a dragon.
• Tyrion complementing Jon on his brooding skills. I’ll have to agree with Tyrion on this one, Jon does look pretty good brooding.
• Dany pointing out how Jon had been stabbed by his own men. She seemed very interested, I wonder if this will be bought up again.
• Euron and his finger in the bum joke he made to try and anger Jamie. Everyone clearly know’s he’s sleeping with his own sister now and it was actually quite a funny scene.
• Mellisandre talking to Vary’s about his and her’s death. Did she just give us a spoiler of what’s to come? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Overall I really loved this episode it was exciting, heartbreaking but most of all I’m glad it had some lighthearted comedy.

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