Best of 2023

Courtesy of The Central Digest

I realize I didn't blog here a lot this year, and when I did, it was about pop culture. I also realize my last post was in September. I've been mostly sharing about stuff on Facebook and Instagram these days. I haven't even posted about my trip to NYC this past summer. It's been that kind of year, I suppose...

New TV shows that I enjoyed in 2023 (in no particular order):

Bad Sisters

Nine Perfect Strangers: It followed the book pretty well overall and I liked the White Lotus feel.

Shrinking: Well done show with all the feels. Harrison Ford deserves an Emmy for his role.

Acapulco

Why Women Kill

XO, Kitty: Fun and cute. I definitely want to see what happens next.

Not Dead Yet: I adore this show and am so glad it got a second season!

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

Somebody Somewhere

The Other Two

The Bear: Took me a while to warm to it but now I want it to continue!

Tiny Beautiful Things: Really well thought out show with incredible acting by Kathryn Hahn.

Jury Duty: Really funny, especially with how James Marsden was acting as himself.

Lessons in Chemistry

The Flatshare

Sullivan's Crossing: If you watched this show, I'd love to discuss!

Series I'm sad to say goodbye to:

Riverdale

A Million Little Things

Manifest (this post is about season one)

Never Have I Ever  (this post is about season one)

Ted Lasso (this post is about the first two seasons)

Workin' Moms (this post is about seasons one - four)

Favorite movies from 2023:

A Man Called Otto

Theater Camp: This movie is so good! If you haven't seen it yet, drop what you're doing and watch it right now!

Are You There G-d? It's Me, Margaret.

Red White and Royal Blue

Happiness for Beginners

Quiz Lady: Really cute and funny story about two sisters trying to save their dog. I highly recommend it.

Runners up:

Barbie: It was good but not something I want to see more than once.

Wish: I enjoyed it, but I still felt like something was missing.

Elemental: For all the great artistry, I found the story lacking.

Side note: I don't see a lot of movies so the ones that are currently popular have not made this list as a result of just not seeing them yet.

Top 10 Books I read this year:

See my top five picks at Chick Lit Central, as well! I read so many amazing books this year (go to my Goodreads page and see all the five-star books) and am sad to have to narrow it down at all. Links are to reviews.

1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

2. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

3. If I See You Again Tomorrow by Robbie Couch

4. The Women by Kristin Hannah

5. New Adult by Timothy Janovsky

6. In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune

7. The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

8. What You Do to Me by Rochelle B. Weinstein

9. The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

10. Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes

Theater:

I got to see Something Rotten again (twice: once at a professional theater and once at a college)

Into the Woods (Touring from Broadway)

Jagged Little Pill (Tour)

Les Miserables (first time since 2005, they changed a lot in terms of the set)

Beetlejuice (Tour)

Kimberly Akimbo (Broadway)

Shucked (Broadway)

Moulin Rouge (Broadway)

I also got to see Ragtime again for the first time in 25 years. (Regional professional theater)

Spring Awakening (Saw at a small independent theater featuring high school students)

Avenue Q (Saw at the same theater as Spring Awakening, but featuring adults, including a teacher from my younger son's school)

My older son and I saw a musical about Audrey Hepburn, as well. It was interesting but went a bit long. (Small independent theater)

My family and I saw a production of Young Frankenstein. I was lukewarm on it but my younger son has been listening to the music ever since we saw it. (Community theater.)

There is more good theater in store for '24, including Company!

Highlights from 2023:

My daughter's Bat Mitzvah.

The NYC trip with my older son. (See above about the shows we saw.) I also loved going to Museum of Broadway.

Seeing my daughter in her camp shows this past summer. She owned the stage every time she was on.

Meeting Wade Rouse (a.k.a. Viola Shipman), Jean Meltzer, and Sara Goodman Confino. (Authors I adore!)

With Jean Meltzer

With Sara Goodman Confino

With Wade (R) and his husband Gary (L)

Pittsburgh trip with my family, which included getting to see "Will."

Seeing my older son in all his shows. He was especially amazing in his recent high school play, portraying a new role that no one had ever seen before and really making it his own. I also love how his improv troupe completely re-created a favorite experience from my 20s.

Visiting family in Chicago a couple times and seeing my nephew and some close friends. 

The amazing besherte timing that allowed me to meet my best friend's baby shortly after he was born.

My younger son getting his learner's permit (that just happened though, so I have yet to experience his driving skills). He's also been really into astronomy lately and I love seeing how passionate he is about it.

Making some new friends this year: One was through a cousin and one was due to my love of Kimberly Akimbo. 

Getting to see my sister-in-law this summer, even if it was only for a short period of time. I also enjoyed meeting her fiance. 

Taking on some new responsibilities at work, including the newsletter, which I'm enjoying.

Things from social media that made me smile:

Ayo Cheetah. These cooking videos are hilarious! 

Gen X Women are Sick of Your Sh-t. Great place to go for all things nostalgic.

On the down side:

The past few months of 2023 have been horrific. I wrote a post a while back about something very similar to what is happening now, but it captures my current feelings so accurately.

I hope 2024 only brings good things to everyone!

This is something I'm excited for, but dreading at the same time. Never mind that it will be 30 years since I graduated high school... (And no, I am NOT going to my reunion! Good thing I have no need to punish myself.)

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A Great Adventure: Thoughts on Kimberly Akimbo

 

"When opportunity knocks. When possibility calls..." You get tickets to see Kimberly Akimbo and you get to enjoy every second of the experience! (Trust me, it will make your sh*tty life better. ;) ) 

I had been listening to the Original Broadway Cast recording of Kimberly Akimbo for most of this past year and have really gotten to know the songs well and enjoy them more and more with each listen. So I was really curious to see how they would play out on stage and what would actually happen in the story. I can tell you that listening to the music is not going to spoil anything because you're still going to be plenty surprised! 

The show tells the story of a lonely teenage girl, Kimberly Levaco, who suffers from a condition similar to progeria that causes her to age rapidly, thereby giving her the appearance of an elderly woman, and how, according to Playbill, "[f]orced to maneuver family secrets, borderline personalities, and possible felony charges, Kim is determined to find happiness in a world where not even time is on her side." (Synopsis courtesy of Wikipedia.)

There's so much more to the story than the synopsis implies. It's full of many ups and downs, really funny moments, and some heartbreaking ones too. I loved it from the moment it started and walked out of the theater exhiliarated by the experience! We had almost the entire original cast, except for Victoria Clark, who normally plays Kimberly. In her place, we had Colleen Fitzpatrick, who did a marvelous job in the lead role. My main goal was to see Bonnie Milligan play Debra and I got my wish. She was even better than I was expecting her to be and I had high expectations. She definitely earned that Tony! Justin Cooley also delivered as Seth and was even more awkward than he sounds just from the songs. I loved him for that. Everyone in this intimately sized cast was amazing though. I loved the four teenagers and all their interactions with each other. The best part is when Debra calls them out on it, but that's all I will say... 

On the side doors, they have pictures and descriptions of all the teenagers, including Kimberly, of course!

The set was really well put together. It would shift smoothly between a house (as well as the basement of the house), a school, and an ice rink. The costume changes happened on stage sometimes. Kimberly would wear a robe over her clothes to go to bed and then would take the robe off in the morning to reveal her outfit. I liked the costumes a lot too. They were simple but they gave off the feel for the time period. 

As I mentioned before, it was cool to see how some of the songs played out on stage. Especially with the context behind them. This was especially true for "This Time," "How to Wash a Check," "Our Disease," and "The Inevitable Turn." (The latter is one of my favorites and seeing it performed made me love it even more than I already do.)

If you're looking for something new and different to see on Broadway, you've come to the right place! It should be touring in the next year or so; don't miss out if it comes to a city near you. Definitely a rewarding production in every way possible. If you want to get a feel for the music and see the camaraderie of the cast, check out the Tiny Desk Concert. (A different actor is playing Seth, but he's still good.)

After the show, we stage-doored and met almost all the cast. The only two who didn't come out were Colleen Fitzpatrick (Kimberly) and Nina White (Teresa). Everyone was so nice too!

Olivia Elease Hardy (Delia)

Fernell Hogan II (Martin)

Steven Boyer (Buddy, Kimberly's dad)

Alli Mauzey (Pattie, Kimberly's mom)

Justin Cooley (Seth)

Bonnie Milligan (Debra, Kimberly's aunt)

Michael Iskander (Aaron)

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Peach-y!: Thoughts on Season 2 of Ginny & Georgia (with Spoilers)

Courtesy of Netflix

Unless you've actually watched season two of Ginny & Georgia, do NOT read this post. Go to Netflix, do not collect $200 (unless you're embezzling it from the mayor), and start binge-watching. Then you can come back to see what my thoughts are because it's all spoilers from here on out...

I was reading my thoughts on season one and realizing how much some things have changed and some have stayed the same. 

1. I am still #TeamMarcus. Even though he broke up with Ginny. :( I get why he had to though and I'm glad they can still be friends. Hunter does look better without the man bun though. I'll give him that. I also like how he called a truce with both Ginny and Marcus.

2. I was actually shipping Joe with Cynthia this season. She mellowed out a lot from last season, even though she still has a mean girl side to her. Even so, I feel bad for her situation with her husband and I liked the connection she and Joe were forming. 

3. Nikki Roumel is still good as "teen" Georgia, but she could be annoying this season. Maybe it's because adult Georgia was also annoying this season?

4. Georgia is no longer my favorite on this series and I actually ended up liking Ginny better. At the beginning, I was mad at Ginny for shutting Georgia out so much and I kept thinking of how ungrateful Ginny was for how much Georgia sacrificed to keep her safe. However, I also saw the situation from Ginny's point of view and how much of a burden she had to carry by knowing Georgia's secret. 

5. Max was a lot more annoying than Ginny was this season in terms of being self-absorbed. I like that Ginny called Max out on it. However, Max did mellow out later in the season and I like how she was there for Ginny and helped Marcus when he was getting drunk all the time. 

6. Wellington was such a fun musical. I love how they were able to get so creative with it. The costumes were amazing. (Way to go, Silver!) Here's one of the songs.

More thoughts:

Top five favorite characters this season:

1. Ginny: She really came into her own this season and became so much more likable. And her curls are even better this season. I love how she put together the wedding at the end. 

2. Joe: He's always great and not just because he was Sav on Degrassi. His corny jokes were the best. (See Raymond Ablack next on Workin' Moms--if you're in Canada, you already can.)

3. Silver: Not only is she an amazing costume designer, but she's also a cute love interest for Max.

4. Padma: I like how down-to-earth she is. She's also a really good singer. (Side note: The actress who plays her is the sister of the actor who plays Joe. She even made a meta comment in regard to that.)

5. Marcus: because he's still super hot

Honorable mentions go to Bracia and Bryon. So great as the leads in the musical and I love how they were interested in each other but didn't know how to say anything. Zion was also really good, but he lost points for not telling Georgia about Ginny's self-harming and then expecting Georgia to always be transparent with him.

Top five worst characters this season:

1. Jessie/Gabriel: He makes me so angry!!! If you're a PI, you don't go involving your investigatee's (is that even a word) child in the whole situation and then try to guilt trip them. 

2. Gil: He was just such a jerk. I'm glad Cynthia blacklisted him and that Paul put him in his place. I feel like he's still going to cause more trouble though.

3. Press: He just creeps me out and I was annoyed that Abby even considered sleeping with him.

4. Paul's dad: Entitled, judgmental jerk. Funny enough, he's played by the actor who played Mr. Hollingsworth on Degrassi. It would have been funnier (in a meta way) if he had played Max's father though. 

5. Paul's mom: Not any better than Paul's dad. Also snooty and judgmental. 

Runner up goes to Samantha. She's just so rude and annoying.

So....the whole situation with Georgia this season has been weighing on me. Like I feel bad for her one moment and then feel like she's gaslighting everyone the next. You need to dig deep in order to get why she has done certain things. Like once you know what Gil is really like, you know why she had to frame him. I guess telling the cops that he was an abusive a-hole wasn't going to do anything. (Sadly, that is usually the case.) And while it's good that Gabriel can't really get what he's after in regard to her past, she went and did something really stupid and pointless. Even though she was trying to do her "friend" some sort of effed up favor, she really should have stayed out of it. That was not her place at all. Plus, Austin saw what happened and now he has the burden of keeping a horrible secret to protect her. Also, seeing his own mom kill someone has to be traumatic. 

Having said that, I don't know how they're going to find any proof that Georgia killed Tom. I don't think there would have been an autopsy if he clearly was really sick and almost dead anyway. She was at the house because she was picking up her son and could easily hear the monitor making noises. So unless Austin gets put on the witness stand, it's really Gabriel's word against hers. 

Overall, I'm glad that Georgia didn't make everyone leave town. I like the people of Wellsbury and since it's clearly set up for a third season, I want to see where things will go with all the characters. I would have been really sad if Georgia ran off with Ginny and Austin again. 

A "few" more things:

I loved it when Austin hugged Zach. That was such a sweet moment and I got all teary-eyed.

I just found out that the actor who played Detective Art Bell on Orphan Black played Zion's father. :O

The country song Georgia played for their dance party was so cute. 

I loved when Abby and Ginny became close again. It was nice to see them bonding. 

The conversation Max had with her dad about being a comedic character was great and I like how Max brought that to the stage.

I was annoyed that Sophie tried to get back into Max's head after Max had already moved on.

I love how everyone in class stood up for Ginny, even though she dropped the class. The teacher had no right to put it on her to teach the class about Black literature. 

It was fun to see flashbacks from Joe's life and how he was just as vindictive as Georgia. 

I actually did wonder why Georgia didn't stick around to let Zion's family help, but then I remembered that they wanted to take Ginny away from her. It would have been helpful to bring back that flashback scene from season one. Especially since they replayed other flashback scenes.

Why don't I remember Joe owning a horse?!?

I think Bracia should have given Bryon the tickets, but I'm glad he still asked her out anyway. 

It was so awkward when Georgia was giving Ginny (oral) sex advice. 

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Best of 2021

Courtesy of Sammiches and Psych Meds

2021 was almost a repeat of 2020, which explains the abundance of TV shows on this list...

New (to me) TV shows that I enjoyed in 2021 (in no particular order):

1. One Day at a Time

2. Being Erica

3. Workin' Moms

4. Cruel Summer: Such an interesting and well-done teen mystery thriller. I loved the 90s throwbacks and the Cold Case feel.

Courtesy of Deadline

5. Schmigadoon

6. Shtisel: I really hope they'll bring it back for a fourth season. There's still so much they could do with this series and I definitely miss the characters. 

7. Ted Lasso: My latest obsession!!!

8. Ordinary Joe: There's still more to go with this first season, but it's really creative and I love seeing what will happen next. 

Courtesy of TV Insider

9. Maid

10. Only Murders in the Building

11. Hacks: Really funny and well done. A Devil Wears Prada for the comedy circuit. I can see why Jean Smart got the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.

12. Little Voice: I'm sad that this only got one season. It's a great show created by Sara Bareilles. I love all the Broadway references, courtesy of Louie. It was nice to see one of the actors in the Dear Evan Hansen movie though.

Courtesy of Deadline

Shows I watched that didn't make it to the list (but I'll still watch anyway):

The Morning Show: It's such a train wreck, but has a fabulous cast. Just too much yelling, fighting, and really long conversations.

Kevin Can F--k Himself: I mainly watch this for Annie Murphy as Kevin is a real life Peter Griffin and I can see why he made her snap!

Courtesy of CNET

Ginny and Georgia

And Just Like That: It leans toward the cringey side, but that could change next year...

Saved by the Bell reboot: It's funny in regards to nostalgia from the original series (and some great meta stuff) but some aspects tend to be annoying.

Courtesy of Vox

Top 5 favorite movies from 2021:

1. In the Heights

2. Free Guy: So funny, creative, interesting, suspenseful, and entertaining. Highly recommended!

Courtesy of TechRadar

3. Tick Tick Boom

4. Cruella: Really well done. More Disney villain movies need to be done this way. Ursula needs to be next!

5. The Hating Game: Just watched this recently. Great adaptation of Sally Thorne's romcom novel. I actually like it better than the book!

Courtesy of Decider

Books:

See my top five picks at Chick Lit Central, as well! I read so many amazing books this year (go to my Goodreads page and see all the five-star books) and am sad to have to narrow it down at all. Links are to reviews (or Bookstagram posts)

1. The People We Keep by Allison Larkin (leaned more toward YA and New Adult, but was definitely one of the best books I read this year)

2. The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

3. With Love from London by Sarah Jio (This was going to go on my list at CLC, but it publishes in 2022)

4. 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

5. Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

6. The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

7. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

8. Half Life by Jillian Cantor

9. The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz

10. The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

Musical treat this year:

Being able to watch Come From Away on Apple +. It was a really good musical and I can't listen to the songs without getting teary-eyed. 

Famous people I want to meet:

*Brett Goldstein. He plays Roy Kent on Ted Lasso and he's everything! Of course, I would be happy to meet anyone from this wonderful show.

Courtesy of TV Insider

The rest is mostly the same from last year, but bears repeating:

*Dan Levy because, like, obviously! ;) (I also wouldn't mind meeting the cast of Schitt's Creek though!)

*Michael Judson Berry: He's so funny with his Schitt's Creek impressions and videos and he seems like he's so down-to-earth and friendly too. 

*Randy Rainbow: When have I NOT wanted to meet Randy Rainbow?!? He's saved my sanity since 2016. 

Highlights from 2021:

*My family getting the Covid vaccine. We are all now fully vaccinated and my husband and I are boosted. Our oldest will be boosted soon.

*My sister got married and we got to attend her wedding in Chicago and finally meet my new brother-in-law in person. They are perfectly matched and I'm really happy for them both!

*Getting to see my best friend and her husband when we were in Chicago. (My family and I didn't have time to make plans with a lot of people, but we couldn't be in the same city and NOT meet up!)

*Getting to see "Will" again after five long years. He officiated my sister's wedding too.

*My younger son's Bar Mitzvah

*I got a new job!!! And it's in a field that actually interests me and is something I want to grow into even more: Book publicity!

* Having Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws. It was so nice to be back together in person again. I hope we can make things work for Passover, as long as omicron gets under control!

*My kids going back to school in person. It's been good for them, even if it means I get up at 5:45 am!

*Some mini-vacations: Staying at a cabin in the woods, going to Virginia Beach (and spending an entire day at the beach itself), staying at a cozy house for a little winter retreat. 

*I made a couple of new friends, which is a challenge in this day and age. Both live nearby and I've already connected with one in person a couple of times. I have lots in common with both of them, as well. 

*Getting to see my friend who moved to Florida a few years ago. She was in town for a week and we hung out a couple of times.

*The Chinese food car picnic my husband and I had for our anniversary. 

That's a wrap for 2021! Here's hoping there will be an end to this pandemic in 2022. 

Got this from a friend's Facebook post

Also got this from a friend's Facebook post

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Sugar and pumpkin spice: My overtly candid thoughts on Ginny and Georgia

Courtesy of IMDb

I finally got around to watching Ginny and Georgia, after keeping it on the back burner for a while. I mainly was drawn to it because of the actors from Degrassi who were on the show, as well as hearing that Jennifer Robertson (Jocelyn from Schitt's Creek) had a role. All I knew was that it was about a mother and daughter that were close in age, just like on The Gilmore Girls. After that, I didn't know what to expect. All I know now is that I have a LOT of thoughts running through my head and I need to get them out. If you haven't seen the show, I am sharing a trailer, but afterward, please look no further as there will be a lot of SPOILERS. For those of you who have seen it, pull up a comfy chair and grab a cup of coffee (preferably from the Blue Farm Cafe) because we have a lot to discuss!

Here's the trailer I promised:

SPOILER TIME!

I'm just going to share any and all thoughts I have in no particular order. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

* I kept mixing up Ginny and Georgia's names. Usually I expect the mother's name to go first in the title, so that threw me off. Georgia also calls Ginny "peach" and peaches make me think of the state of Georgia, so that's not helpful either. 

*The Degrassi people referenced above were Sara Waisglass (Max, who played Frankie on Degrassi), Chelsea Clark (Norah, who played Esme on Degrassi...I liked her soooo much better on G&G though), and Raymond Ablack (Joe, who played Sav on Degrassi...while he's still attractive, I like him better without the facial hair). Raymond's sister is also on the show, as Padma. The actress who plays Riley was also on Degrassi for a short time.

*When it comes down to Ginny's love interests, I am 100% #TeamMarcus. Hunter (on the left in the picture below) is sweet and all, but I felt like he was too much of a pushover. I actually liked when he got mad at Ginny and stood up to her after the essay contest winner was announced. Even so, he was just too smiley all the time and there was no real chemistry between the two of them. Whereas Marcus (on the right) and Ginny just sizzled together. Maybe it was the clandestine aspect? All I know is that I liked them together. Fun trivia: The actor who played Marcus (Felix Mallard) also played Zoey's cute Australian neighbor on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Maybe I should get back to watching that to see more of him... 

Image courtesy of Wiredup Report

*As for Georgia's love interests, I do like her with Paul the most, but part of me ships her with Joe, especially now that he knows he was the guy she met when they were teenagers. 

*Speaking of teen Georgia, I loved Nikki Roumel in this part. She reminded me of Natalie Portman at the beginning of Where the Heart Is, at least until she showed a darker side of herself. 

Courtesy of Ultimate Jackets

*As for adult Georgia, she was definitely my favorite on the show. Brianne Howey was so great in that role. At first, I thought she was going to be this irresponsible young mother and Ginny would be the one taking responsibility for everything, but that was not the case. She harbored a lot of dark secrets and she was a mama bear to the core. 

Courtesy of Refinery29

*Here is my main issue with the show...how Ginny and her brother Austin treated Georgia. I get that Georgia is young and that she was a teen mom, but Ginny has no idea what she has to put up with in order to keep her children safe and provide a better life for them than the one she had growing up. Ginny got mad at her for every little thing. I get that it's complicated to be a teenager sometimes, but it's even more complicated to be a teen mom and Georgia did the best she could under a lot of really tough circumstances. Even after she confided to Ginny why she had to keep some parts of her life a secret, Ginny still turned on her! I also hated how ungrateful Ginny was for the fabulous spa day birthday party Georgia threw for her. Her friends were even on board. She also impulsively sent Austin's dad all the letters he wrote when there was obviously a good reason why Georgia kept them hidden. She could have asked Georgia what was going on first, but that would be too easy. I could go on and on ranting about this, but the gist of it is that Ginny treated Georgia like crap. And then she had the audacity to run away from home and take Austin with her. On a motorcycle. I felt so bad for Georgia not knowing what was going on. 

*My other issue with Ginny was how she acted with her friends, like everything revolved around her. While Maxine could be the same way, Ginny couldn't deal with not having all the attention. When Abby was telling MANG about her parents getting a divorce, Ginny started going on about how she had problems too. I don't blame Abby for slapping her. Also, when Sophie broke up with Max, Ginny was more focused on being with Marcus. I don't blame MANG for bailing on Ginny and I also hate how she threw Abby under the bus for accidentally finding out about her and Marcus. 

*I may hate on Ginny a lot, but I did sympathize with her sometimes and I admired her for standing up to the racist teacher. I also loved her poem for the essay contest. And she has great curls.

Courtesy of Vulture

*The character I really hate is Cynthia. She has no redeeming qualities and even sticking in a scene showing that her husband is sick doesn't endear me to her. She could at least try to be a decent person, but she's incapable of that. She also raised her son to be a bully. I don't even get how she was able to break into Paul's office to spy on Georgia's financial records for the campaign. It made me think of Carolyn from Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, where she tells on Sue-Ellen for potentially stealing the petty cash, but then Sue-Ellen had all these backup receipts. In this case, however, I think Nick figured something out and covered for Georgia. I love how Cynthia ended up looking foolish for making accusations about Georgia stealing money. 

*I'm guessing they didn't have the rights to be able to just perform Chicago at the school, since Sing Sing was very similar. I'm clearly not the only one who picked up on this. Too funny!

*There are still a lot of things that need answering. The first is how Georgia accessed her deceased husband's body if he had already been buried. Unless there was a long period of time between his death and when she moved to Wellsbury. Also, how did her sister get connected to Gabriel if her deceased husband's ex-wife is the one launching the investigation. Another mystery is why Georgia had Paul babysit for Austin one time, but then left him home alone at other times. It will be interesting to see what other secrets come out in the second season.

Overall, there was a lot to like about this show, even when some things made me so angry. I look forward to season two!

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Degrassi TNG seasons 13 and 14

Photo courtesy of TVLine

If you're reading this post, it means I have finished watching all fourteen seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation. This show has become a lifeline for me during the pandemic and I couldn't get enough of it. I got my friend hooked on it, so thankfully I can relive past seasons vicariously through her. (I'm so excited about who she has yet to meet!) I feel so connected to the characters, even though they are in high school. I've even had dreams about some of them! So much has happened to each one that I was worried the school was cursed or something. No one could avoid having at least one bad thing happen to them during their time at Degrassi. I loved all the drama on the show. It was better than a soap opera! I even found myself reeling after some episodes that had big game changers. I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to watch Degrassi: The Next Generation and I definitely plan to watch Next Class soon.

I recently watched It Goes There: Degrassi's Most Talked About Moments after finishing the series. It's definitely worth checking out! It was also nice to see some of the cast looking all grown up. 

I'm listing some favorites below. I'm not explaining why for the overall series, as you will have seen in past posts why they were chosen throughout the time I was watching.

Top five favorite guys from the series:

1. Marco

2. J.T. 

3. Eli

4. Adam

5. Sav

Top five favorite girls from the series:

1. Holly J.

2. Fiona

3. Ellie

4. Jane

5. Imogen

Favorite characters from these past two seasons:

1. Zig: At first, I found him annoying and then I didn't like what he was doing with his life. That all changed when he moved into Maya's house and started softening up a bit. I hope to see more of him in Next Class.

2. Becky: Originally, I couldn't stand her when she quit working on the show for homophobic reasons. Then she fell in love with Adam and changed so much as a result. Sticking up for Zoe, even though it meant getting her brother into huge trouble, sealed the deal for me. She's not the same person that she was at the beginning of season twelve and I ended up liking her a lot. 

3. Tristan: I first thought he was over the top in terms of his personality, but then he grew up a bit more and his personality worked on him as he matured. I really like who he is now, even though he enjoys stirring up trouble sometimes. He cracks me up too.

4. Frankie: She's just fun to watch and I can't wait to see what happens for her going forward. Hopefully nothing bad! She has a great singing voice. 

5. Grace: I just like her personality a lot. She doesn't take BS from anyone. She also can be really nice when she wants to. 

Check out my first post about this series.

Check out my thoughts on seasons three and four.

Check out my thoughts on seasons five and six.

Check out my thoughts on seasons seven and eight.

Check out my thoughts on seasons nine and ten.

Check out my thoughts on seasons eleven and twelve.

Season thirteen:

No more long intro! Now I have to guess who some of the new actors are playing. Also surprising that Tori is already off the show. 

I came into the season in the wrong order, thanks to some mistake on YouTube. I then watched the other episodes to catch up to when that episode happens, so it was fun to see how everything fell into place.

If I didn't already love Eli, I do even more now. I feel bad for what Clare has to go through, but I'm glad she has him as her cheerleader. I can't believe he even remotely stepped out on her though. I wonder if their relationship will be okay. Especially now that Clare kissed Drew and is fantasizing about him. I feel bad for Eli that Clare broke up with him, but their relationship was starting to drift. Although it seems like they could get back together again. Yet there's the bombshell for Clare, and I'm guessing it involves Drew....

I think it was a bit demanding of Becky to tell Adam not to hang out with Imogen. I'm annoyed that she got mad at Adam for acting jealous of Todd.

I feel bad for Tristan having to see Miles make out with Zoe. Tristan looks really good this season. And it looks like he might still have potential with Miles...

I don't like Imogen's new glasses. The other ones enhanced her face more. These new ones hide her face a bit.

It was bad enough they killed off JT, but ADAM?!? So, so, so sad! The tribute video and celebration of his life was such a tearjerker. I hope this speaks volumes to anyone considering texting and driving.

It will be interesting to see how things go for Drew this year. They're not starting off too well. I feel bad that Bianca ended things. I'm glad he's trying to be a better president though. I like the chemistry between him and Claire more than I was expecting to. Too bad things went south between them. I hope they can get back to a good place together soon. It looks like they're on that path again. 

I really don't like Zoe. Maybe she'll change like Paige and Holly J. did. I'll give it some time. I hated what she did to Maya over the internet though. I don't see how they will ever become friends, but somehow I also see it happening in the future. I didn't like how she was so manipulative with Drew and then acted like a victim. I do feel bad for her about what happened at the party. I'm glad Luke and the other guy got in trouble for it. I hated how Luke was trying to pull a Brock Turner defense. I love how Drew, Dallas, Miles, and the others were there for Zoe at the end of the episode. I'm also glad she's taking more ownership of her life. I felt bad for her with the whole trial situation. The defense lawyer was awful. How can women do that to each other? 

I'm not sure I trust Leo yet. The arm grabbing sent off Rick vibes. I like that Alli is calling the shots and I hope he is able to change. It's horrible that he beat her up again and I'm glad Alli told the cops on him. I hope he will be deported. I was worried it would get to the point where Alli ended up in the hospital like Teri. I'm so glad she is taking steps to get him out of her life.

Zig changed a lot. I wasn't expecting to see him looking and acting so different. I find his whole bad boy thing really annoying. I thought toward the end of last season, things were better between him and Maya and that there was promise of possibility. 

I'm glad Dallas got his act together. I was getting worried for a while. I love how supportive he's been of Alli with her whole abusive ex-boyfriend situation. I'm so glad Dallas and Alli are finally together. 

Maya and Miles's relationship annoys me sometimes. I guess I'll have to wait and see where things go with that. 

I'm glad Imogen was able to effect change at the school in terms of the dress code. The new girl she's interested in seems cool. I also love her friendship with Becky.

I feel like Maya inviting Zig to stay at her house is asking for trouble. It was lame that Miles tried to pull a Peter move on Zig, but at least he didn't actually frame him for having drugs. I'm kind of enjoying the sexual tension between Maya and Zig. I'm glad he is getting help in order to leave the gang and I was surprised Miles's dad is the one behind all that. I'm glad Zig is starting to get his life back to a good place. I am surprised Vince is back. I thought he was put away for the shooting at prom a while back. 

I am furious on Dallas and Connor's behalves for being racially profiled. The cops should have called Snake and asked if he gave his permission to borrow the car. WTF?!? I'm glad Mike is going to file a complaint. I hope something comes out of it. 

I think Dave is no longer on the series. That's too bad, as I liked him.

I hope the new teacher doesn't try to make a play for Tristan (and I don't mean write a play for him to star in). I guess my hopes were too high. I kind of feel bad for Tristan and also kind of don't. The whole situation was inappropriate and would end up blowing up in someone's face. This is no different from Paige with the student teacher. 

The graphics in Realm of Doom seem sub par for 2014. It was hard to take that game seriously. I'm glad the British guy isn't another situation like Connor had with the older woman or what happened with Darcy and the sexy photos. However, it's kind of sucky that things fizzled out between him and Becky just because she couldn't handle him being in grade nine.

Luke brought the whole house arrest and legal situation on himself. I am so mad at the mom for asking Becky to stick up for him. I'm glad Becky told the truth though, as hard as that was for her to do. 

It's lame that Drew got fired when Mrs. Hollingsworth was the one who acted inappropriately. I'm glad Drew was able to get something out of the situation instead of having to make it a news story.

I really like Imogen and Jack together. So cute! I'm also warming to the idea of Drew and Becky together. 

I love that Zoe was singing "Defying Gravity." She has a good voice. I also liked when she sang the Golden Girls theme with Maya. They have a good harmony.

Season fourteen:

Things are already starting off rocky with Clare's pregnancy. It's sad that it's going to break things apart for her and Eli. I don't blame him for being mad, but he needs to stick with that instead of going back and forth with Clare.

Maya still annoys me for some reason. Maybe it's her constant need to fix things. She needs to get therapy for Cam's suicide. I feel like she never did that.

Miles and Tristan are cute together. I still don't like Miles' dad and I hope his mom will find out about how he gets abusive. I hope Miles gets his act together soon. I was annoyed at him for driving high and then making Maya lie about it. I'm glad Tristan is mad at him.

I like that Becky has become more edgy and less of a little miss sunshine. I don't blame her for being mad at her brother. This new band guy (Jonah) seems intriguing. I like him and Becky together.

I'm sure the nude photo "fundraiser" will blow up in everyone's face soon. I feel bad for Frankie for being ostracized for not going along with it. I also feel bad for Zoe for being blackmailed. I wonder who is behind that. I feel bad for Frankie with how Zoe was treating her without gathering any evidence first. I'm glad Zoe deleted the photo, but it sounds like the situation did bite her in the butt after all.

I feel like Jenna and Connor are suddenly missing from the show. Jenna would be a good person for Clare to talk with about pregnancy and potentially keeping the baby. I'm glad to finally see them back on.

It was nice to see Spinner again, although it's so random that he's suddenly managing The Dot after being away for so long.

I'm glad Mike and Alli are still in a good place with their relationship. I was starting to get worried. 

I'm glad Imogen sorted things out with Jack, but now that we know she's still in the closet with her family, that's another hurdle for their relationship....and it looks like they didn't get past it.

There was a funny coincidence with a current event. On December 1st, Elliot Page came out as transgender. That same night, I was watching an episode where Zoe talks about being in a movie with Elliot's dead name. What are the odds?!?

If I didn't get teary-eyed from the plan to name the baby Adam, finding out that he is really Eli's totally sent me reeling. I hope he will listen to Clare soon. I feel bad for Drew though, but I'm annoyed that Mike told him instead of giving Clare a chance to. I was worried when Eli wouldn't hear what Clare has to say, but I'm glad he found out the truth and that things could become good between them again. I still love them together. 

I'm annoyed that Miles's mom didn't believe him about his dad being abusive. I'm glad Frankie and Hunter helped him stand up to their dad. I'm also glad that Frankie told her dad how much he hurt her. I hope he can do something to repair his relationships and not just throw money at everything. 

I am glad Zoe finally confessed about the Degrassi nudes. I don't feel bad for her for getting consequences, as she's been a mean girl from the very beginning. I hope this makes her a better person. Sounds like she and Miles could get back together.

Clare's dream about Snake was so funny. Also, the facial hair just isn't working for him. Too bad he's no longer principal though.

I'm worried about Zig's whole situation. It's scary that his friend got stabbed and I'm glad he's okay. Scary that Maya's house got robbed. I'm glad Maya and Zig are together now, although the last thing he said before the credits has me worried for them. I hope he doesn't get sucked back into the gang lifestyle. 

So sad about Clare losing the baby. I did not see that coming. I'm glad Eli is helping her through that, even though it affects him too. I can't decide if she's going too far in regards to the video cameras.

I'm so glad Maya and Tristan are friends again! I also hope that things with this new guy work out for Tristan. They seem like they'd be cute together. 

I'm glad Lola told Frankie about the kiss. I feel bad for Frankie, but I think she needed to hear the truth. Hopefully she and Winston can get to a good place again. They were so cute together in the musical and I'm glad they kissed and made up.

The sex stuff on the computer in class was hilarious. Poor Becky! I'm glad she's starting to ask questions though. Being sheltered about sex isn't doing anyone any favors. Too bad about Jonah stealing her money to pay back Vince. It's sad that Becky can no longer trust him.

Where did Clare's stepdad disappear to? Same with Maya's dad and Becky's dad.

I'm glad Zig got everything sorted out with all the gang violence and that he has someone looking out for him and Tiny. I'm also glad he and Damon made up.

I like how Drew helped save the prom and how everyone stood up for him at graduation. I can't stand the new principal. I want Snake to come back! It was nice to see him at graduation though.

I'm glad Clare and Eli sorted things out and that their relationship won't suffer during her gap year. They are meant to have a future together! 

Someone was peeling onions next to me during the tribute to Adam at graduation. 

It was strange to have the summer story at the end of season 14 instead of at the beginning of Next Class. The mystery was interesting though and I kind of guessed who was behind everything after a while. Also nice to see Scott Thompson from Kids in the Hall. Zoe is becoming more likable, but her thing with Grace is totally the same as Paige and Alex. I'm annoyed that the situation caused the end of Frankie's relationship with Winston. Logan wasn't even that cute! Tristan was so funny with his commentary. 

Now that I'm set up for Next Class, it's time to get watching!