Hanging in "The Dale": Thoughts on seasons 1-3 of Riverdale

Courtesy of Screenrant

I made it a 2022 goal to watch Riverdale and I am already done with the first three seasons! I wanted to share my thoughts so far. The first half of the post will be general and then there will be spoilers later on. (You will have time to back out before seeing those.) I've been calling it "The Dale" because my husband gave it that nickname and it just stuck. :)

General thoughts:

Riverdale is a combination of many different shows: Beverly Hills 90210 (Luke Perry is even in it), Desperate Housewives, Scooby Doo, Glee, Stranger Things, Dawson's Creek, Degrassi: The Next Generation, etc. If we want to talk books, there are some Sweet Valley High aspects. It also uses elements from some well-known movies. 

I read Archie comics as a teenager and I will never be able to do so again after watching this show. The characters have a dark side that you don't see in the comic books. 

I will also never be able to watch Big Daddy after this because after seeing Cole Sprouse as Jughead, I can't even imagine watching him as a little kid again. Also the fact that Jughead is my main crush from the show makes me feel like a cougar and this was when he was in his twenties. Either that, or I just pretend his twin brother was playing Julian the whole time, as well as Ben on Friends. 

Courtesy of New American Jackets

It is so easy to hate some characters one moment and love them the next. Cheryl Blossom is the biggest example of this. It also extends to Alice Cooper (I still laugh about that name). Then there are others I will always hate, like Hiram Lodge. 

I like that the casting is more diverse and that there are LGBTQ characters. 

I love the musical theater element. Not only have they already done two musical episodes using songs from the musicals they were featuring, but they also sang "Out Tonight" from Rent in one of the episodes. There have been some Cabaret and Anything Goes songs too. I haven't seen the musical version of Carrie, but now I can't stop listening to the cast recording. Of course, I'm picturing the characters from Riverdale each time. I've seen the Heathers episode before, but this time it made more sense in the context of season three and I actually cried from "Seventeen." I can't wait to see future musical episodes! 

They include a lot of pop culture in the show too. There was an episode where they went to see Love, Simon. They make other pop culture name drops, as well. 

There is a lot of horror involved, but I'm enjoying it anyway. There's always a murder mystery to solve and teenagers are the ones to do it (hence the Scooby Doo comment). This video says it all. With the horror, there are a lot of conspiracies and other wild situations that could only happen in the town of Riverdale.

There's a V.C. Andrews element to the story that gets introduced in season one. And it's not what you think either... Also, Cheryl's grandma looks like she's straight out of a V.C. Andrews novel.

There are a lot of 80s and 90s actors on the show: Luke Perry, Molly Ringwald, Skeet Ulrich, Lochlyn Munro, Mädchen Amick, Anthony Michael Hall (in one episode), Robin Givens, and Gina Gershon....just to name a few.

Have I enticed you to watch yet? If not, check out this trailer. I'll be sharing my thoughts with spoilers below, so don't go any further than that if you're new to all things Riverdale.

Thoughts on seasons 1-3 with SPOILERS:

*

*

*

*

*

I still find it weird that Hal revealed himself to be the Black Hood killer when the guy had green eyes and Hal clearly did not. Was he wearing colored contacts to disguise himself? 

There seems to be a black hole for some characters, like they just disappear and no one seems to think about them anymore. The two Pussycats and Chuck definitely ended up there. I thought Ethel did too, but she's back now. 

I thought Cheryl's closeness with Jason was going to be the V.C. Andrews element, but it turns out that Jason and Polly were cousins. I also found out (from starting on season four), that Archie's grandma's name is Virginia Andrews. That is V.C.'s first name. Hmmm...

If Betty's half-brother is supposedly dead, how did he end up being an FBI agent? Unless the death story was a cover up? And if that was the case, why did Chic even bother coming into their lives? Did he know the Coopers were looking for him? 

Is Gryphons and Gargoyles connected to The Farm in any way, or are they two separate problems in a really intense and twisted season? Both talk about ascension though. Speaking of that, where did the farmers go when they left Kevin behind? That seems so bizarre. 

Hiram Lodge is the absolute worst! I hate him so much! He's never going to stop being a complete piece of sh*t, even from prison. Who doesn't he have doing his bidding at this point? 

Other characters I hate right now: Penny Peabody, Elio (the guy arranging the boxing matches), Penelope Blossom, Edgar and Evelyn Evernever. I'm also really mad at Kevin and Fangs right now for not listening to Betty and Cheryl and I hope at least Kevin will be able to redeem himself, if Fangs has truly ascended with the farmers. 

Characters I love besides the main four: Josie, Toni, F.P. Jones, Fred Andrews, Pops, and I'm still on the fence with Cheryl as she did come through for the main four at the end of season three. I'm also on the fence with Reggie. He does have a lot of good moments, even though he can be a bully sometimes.

I love Betty and Jughead together. They make such a sweet couple. I also am glad Veronica and Archie are still endgame for now...

If you're a Riverdale fan, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the first three seasons!

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following me.

Extra-Ordinary Joe

Courtesy of IMDb

The first season of Ordinary Joe just ended. Thirteen episodes is not enough though, and I hope it returns for another season. It's a really well-written show with a strong cast! I feel like I currently have only one friend with whom I can discuss this show. So if anyone else here is watching, speak up!

Funny side note: I told one of my friends I was watching Ordinary Joe and she thought it was a reality show, like Joe Millionaire. I hope I can convince her to watch this show though.

Here's the basic premise: Joe Kimbreau has a decision to make at college graduation. Depending on what he decides, his life plays out based on that decision. Since he has three directions in which he can go, we get to see all three decisions play out while he lives parallel lives in a Sliding Doors way. 

In one life, he is a nurse, married to Jenny, his college sweetheart, and raising their son together. That's what would have happened if he went to the lake house with Jenny. Those scenes are in green lighting. He wears glasses and has bangs.

Another life shows Joe as a cop, single and living with his mom at his childhood home. He runs into Amy, the girl he met at graduation, and starts to take interest in her. Those scenes are in blue lighting. He had a standard, clean-cut look.

The third life shows Joe as a rock star (although he has a country vibe at times), married to Amy. Those scenes are in red lighting. He has long hair and the makings of a beard.

All three lives have their share of uplifting moments and complications. The supporting characters show up in each life in different ways, but a lot of things mirror each other (in a funhouse mirror kind of way). 

For Jenny:

She is married to Joe in the nurse life, and is a paralegal, as she never got to go all the way with becoming a lawyer, due to raising a child so soon after graduating college. 

She is married to another man and has two daughters in the rock star life, but her path crosses with Joe's at their reunion and she tells him something that changes both their lives.

In the cop life, she is married to a guy she was friends with in college, who swooped in when Joe didn't show up at the lake house. She has a son with this guy, as well, and is a lawyer. 

For Amy:

In the nurse life, she is married to Joe's best friend Eric and they help with Joe's son a lot. 

In the cop life, she is coming out of an affair with the politician she's helping campaign for and trying to see where things go with Joe.

In the rock star life, she is married to Joe and campaigning to become a politician herself, after suffering a miscarriage. 

Both Eric and Joe's uncle Frank have different roles in each of his lives, as well. That's all I will say for now, so you can see how things play out. There are other things I don't want to mention as to not spoil the show. I will share a few more thoughts after the trailer, for those who have watched the entire first season already.

James Wolk is fabulous as Joe in all three scenarios. I really enjoy watching him. Two actors from You have big supporting roles: Jenny is played by Elizabeth Lail, who was Beck in season one. Eric is played by Charlie Barnett who was Gabe in season two (I remember him more from Russian Doll though.) I've never seen Natalie Martinez in anything before, but she's great as Amy. Anne Ramsay from Mad About You plays Joe's mother. I like her a lot in this role too. John Gluck plays Nurse Joe's son Chris, and he is an amazing kid with a beautiful singing voice. He has physical disabilities, which are addressed on the show and handled in a sensitive and thoughtful way. 

If I haven't convinced you to watch this yet, then the trailer will do it:

SPOILERS AHEAD

*

*

*

*

The only time I had trouble keeping the three stories straight is when they showed how everything first started for Joe. I had to keep looking for little details to figure out which life he was in. Otherwise, it was easy to follow for me, but difficult to explain sometimes!

The whole situation with Joe not knowing about his son in the rock star and cop lives is so heart-wrenching. Especially since that choice was taken away from him in the first place and now he just wants to know his son but is still kept at arm's length. Going on those two scenarios, I'd want the nurse life to be the real deal for him. 

I love how everything parallels and how stories weave in and out between the three lives. It shows that Joe can't really escape certain situations, and neither can the supporting characters. Addiction also plays into the show, either in the form of Joe's uncle or even from Joe, himself, in the rock star life. 

I also love how they show what things are like from the supporting characters' perspectives. We don't always just see Joe on the screen. Jenny's law school experience in Atlanta reminded me of Legally Blonde in some ways, like how she started off awkward and suddenly became the star lawyer for the case she was working on, even though she was still a law student. I feel bad for Amy in the rock star life. She made a careless mistake based on an assumption because Joe was hiding things from her. Suddenly she's the pariah. (I had a feeling she'd end up getting pregnant from her one time affair with Bobby in that life.) I liked seeing Eric in his different relationships, especially with another guy, although I haven't seen Sai around much lately. 

Overall, this is such a great series that I am going to miss until it returns. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you've made it this far.

 

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following me.

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

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following me.

A Festivus for the Rest of Us!

Today is Festivus, so I felt it was an appropriate time to air my grievances. Keep in mind that most of these are first world problems, but it's still enough to get my goat, so to speak. Feel free to share your grievances in the comments. (Keep in mind that I monitor them to avoid spam, so don't worry if it doesn't show up right away.)

*The Amazon situation that I hope to never experience again. Long story short, they would NOT make it easy for my son to access his account, and he would have lost his gift card balance as a result. Somehow my husband was able to get them to let him back in, but this was after I made 20 zillion calls.

*USPS delaying mail for a month and a half and then delivering a damaged item. It looks like they spilled coffee all over it.

*Covid coming back in full force and somehow this new strain is vaccine resistant. I really hope we can get it under control this time. I don't think my kids can deal with going virtual again. 

*Extracurriculars being cancelled but not athletics, even though the athletes are the ones taking off their masks during practice....

*Rent getting cancelled. My oldest and I were supposed to see it at a local professional theater. I hope they'll extend its run when things get better. 

*People driving really bad. Now that my oldest has his permit, I'm even more hyperaware of all the bad drivers he'll have to contend with. I've been cut off a couple of times and I'm glad I was the one behind the wheel during those instances. 

*The sun being too bright in the kitchen. My husband got something to help with this, but apparently we need a handyperson to install them. And since anyone my husband has called has either not called back or came to check things out and never gave a quote, who knows when this will happen? I currently put paper grocery bags on my kitchen table to block the sun from getting directly into my eyes. 

*The bus depot accusing me of lying. A few weeks ago, my younger son's bus was running late. I called the depot and they said that the driver had already been there and no one was waiting for it. We had been there since 7:00 and the bus had not been there or we would have seen it. It's hard to miss.

*Being forced to purchase a month of Peacock Premium to be able to watch Annie Live. At least we got Saved by the Bell out of that. Still, there are so many streaming services and all come at a price. If the show was on a network station, their website should be streaming it without requiring a cable account. If someone has cable, they don't need to stream the show from the website when they can watch it on their TV. 

*CVS not accepting conditioner as a beauty product for the free beauty product deal. It makes my hair silky and smooth, so I consider that to be a beauty product. 

*How annoying it is to schedule a booster vaccine for people. (And even just the regular vaccine for kids.) And it's even more annoying to find out that it's very hard to get a Covid test and that places are charging a large amount of money for one. Is that legal? Some places in our state are giving out free Covid test kits, but they are totally out of the way. 

*All the spam entries I had to clean out from a giveaway I did at my blog. I'm glad someone alerted me to this, but what a pain!

*Not getting certain books in advance even though I've been blogging for 10 years and some other people have already got these books, so I know they're available. 

*My older son's job situation: Why does he need to do THREE interviews for a pizza place when most places are lucky if someone wants to work for them right now and would hire them on the spot? When he had his "audition" meeting, they had him cleaning toilets. They also keep putting off his offer meeting. 

*The holiday eves are on Shabbat. It's hard to stay up until midnight to ring in the new year when that's the case. I also can't do my Rent post on Facebook, unless I change something around that day. 

*I got on the Philadelphia cream cheese website at noon the other day for a chance to get $20 toward another dessert item and the site was backed up and not working. There was another chance to do it, but of course it was on Shabbat. :P

*My hands are so dry all the time even though I use tons of Aquaphor and gloves every night. I go through so many bandages and look like Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors.

*Getting notifications of deals on certain websites, but they're only good for that same day. Why even bother? 

*Special K Vanilla Almond always being out of stock at my local CVS.

*Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) not being included in the sexiest men issue of People magazine. GRRRRR....

Tedlassogifs Ted Lasso GIFfrom Tedlassogifs GIFs

Tell me your grievances! Don't be shy.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following me.

The Sharp Knife of a Short Life: Thoughts on tick, tick...Boom!

Courtesy of TV Insider

Back in 2003, I saw tick, tick...Boom! on stage. I had wanted to see it because I knew it was written by Jonathan Larson and I was (and still am) a huge Rent fan. I didn't really know much about the story or songs, but I  fell in love with it right away. At the time, Christian Campbell (Trick), Wilson Cruz (My So-Called Life), and Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde: The Musical) were in it. After the show, my sister, friend, and I got to meet the actors and they were so nice! I also bought the soundtrack right away and couldn't stop listening to it! So yeah, I've been into TTB for a long time. I was thrilled to find out that it was being made into a movie and I counted down the days until it finally was released on Netflix. So seeing it this past weekend was a total treat in more ways than one. It was well worth the 18 1/2 year wait (since I last saw it, at least). I don't remember the dialogue from the stage production, but the music was definitely fresh in my head, so it was interesting to see what they would do with it on film. I was more than pleasantly surprised. 

With Christian Campbell, who played Jonathan (2003)

With Wilson Cruz, who played Michael (2003)

With Robin de Jesús, who played Michael in the movie (2009)

The story is set up with Jonathan (played perfectly by Andrew Garfield) doing a one-man show for an audience, with some singing help from Roger (Joshua Henry) and Karessa (Vanessa Hudgens). During this time, he's telling his story and interjecting songs throughout. It is similar to this actual performance by Jonathan Larson. In case you weren't aware yet, TTB is about Jonathan Larson trying to get a musical produced (not Rent though) and all the obstacles he runs into along the way, such as time, money, demands from his girlfriend (Susan, played by Alexandra Shipp) and best friend (Michael, played by Robin de Jesús, shown above), needing to write one more song, etc. The story takes place right before he turns 30, in early 1990 and he is feeling like he's not meeting any milestones. To go with this time period, there's a cordless phone with an antenna, an old computer with really old word processing software, etc. The fashion is early 90s and New York City doesn't have all the bright lights everywhere you go. This is also during the height of the AIDS crisis. I don't want to say too much about what happens, as to not spoil it. To alleviate confusion, the scenes where Jonathan is playing piano take place shortly after the scenes where he is interacting with people in the city, at the diner, or at his apartment. I will be sharing spoilers below the trailer, for anyone who has seen it and wants to share in my love for this movie.

While Jonathan Larson wrote the story and it was about his life, Lin-Manuel Miranda directed the movie. This is such a great marriage of two incredibly talented minds. I wrote about my love for both artists a while back, so it's fitting that they came together in this way. There are a LOT of Broadway and other celebrity appearances in this show and so many Rent Easter eggs throughout. So be on the lookout when you watch it.

Even though I loved the movie version of In the Heights, I enjoyed this movie version of a musical even more. My older son agrees with me on that. There was something about this movie that spoke to me and I can't stop thinking about it. It felt so raw and honest the entire time and it is relatable no matter what age you are. I was younger than 30 when I first saw it, and 30 is now far back in my rearview mirror.

Andrew Garfield was excellent and captured Jonathan's essence and kindness, bringing him back to life in so many ways. I also love how NYC served as the backdrop and just added so much more to the story. It didn't need to be all flashy to do that job.

If this is the first you're hearing about tick, tick...Boom!, check out the trailer and then make a date to watch it soon! Just don't read past the trailer to avoid spoilers! And have a box of tissues nearby...

 

My thoughts with spoilers:

*

*

*

*

* While they added in some new songs (well, songs that Jonathan wrote that weren't in the original stage production), they also took out or shortened some others. "Green Green Dress" was used as background music during a seduction scene. It was a cool cover of the song and I was told that the song is played in full during the end credits, but I didn't get that far. "Sugar" was reduced to one line in order to prove a point. "Real Life" was one line repeated a bunch of times. 

* "Sunday" was the best, with all the Broadway cameos. I recognized Bebe Neuwirth, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo, Andre De Shields, Bernadette Peters, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Pascal, Daphne Rubin Vega, and Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Phylicia Rashad, and Chita Rivera. There were some others I didn't recognize or missed altogether until it was pointed out to me later. I really need to watch that scene again. I love how it added so much essence to the song. And the chaos right before it started reminded me of restaurant jobs I've had in the past. 

* At the focus group, it was easy to recognize Laura Benanti and Utkarsh Ambudkar (who is in every single TV show and movie), but you may not know that Danielle Ferland played the woman with the short blond hair. She was the original Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods!

* There was an abstract feel to the show that reminded me of Chicago soemtimes, especially during 

* I loved some other celebrity appearances, as well. Judith Light was great as Jonathan's agent, Rosa. Bradley Whitford was so convincing as Stephen Sondheim. It was fun to see Richard Kind, even though I always think of him as Bing Bong. It was also a pleasant surprise to see Christopher Jackson! I found out later that I missed appearances from Chris Sullivan, Luis Miranda, and Roger Bart. Another reason (among many) to watch again. 

* I think knowing Jonathan's ultimate fate made the story feel much heavier, like time really was ticking for him and he had no idea six years prior to his death. It packed in an extra punch to an already emotionally impactful story. My subject line is from The Band Perry's "If I Die Young" and it's fitting for Jonathan. 

* I liked that they included "Boho Days" into the movie. It's a hidden track on the stage cast recording, so I feel like it's incredibly underrated. 

* One of the Rent Easter eggs I caught was when Jonathan was mentioning friends who died from AIDS and all the names were those from the support group in Rent. (Steve, Ali, Pam, etc.) There was also a Rent vibe in general whenever Jonathan was talking and describing things. He reminded me so much of Mark during those times.

* The song "Why" is the one where Jonathan is singing about Michael, but the title is confusing since he asks "why?" a lot in "Louder than Words."

* Robin sounded different to me. I saw him twice in In the Heights and I feel like his voice changed since 2017 (when I last saw him perform live). "No More" was fun to watch on screen though. Watching them dancing in the different places added to the humor. 

* It would be cool to see Superbia as an actual musical. Maybe Lin-Manuel could work his magic and bring it to life even more.

* "Swimming" was new and different. It reminded me of "Contact" from Rent in some ways. It's one of those songs that grows on you after a few listens. (I just wondered how he had time to swim if he didn't have time to talk with Susan and Michael.) I like how it inspired him to write "Come to Your Senses." Speaking of which, I loved how great Alexandra and Vanessa sounded in that song. I sometimes had trouble telling their voices apart, but then they harmonized really well.

* I wasn't really sure how "Play Game" fit in, but I love how the rapper auditioned for Cats at the end. 

* In the stage production, all three actors sang "Johnny Can't Decide", which I think worked better since they were all talking about themselves in third person. 

If you've seen tick, tick... Boom!, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following me.

Why you should watch Only Murders in the Building

Courtesy of IMDb

I will admit that this was another show I was hesitant to see. I don't listen to true crime podcasts or read true crime books. However, some of my friends who have similar tastes were highly recommending it, so I decided to finally give it a try. I'm really glad I did. Five hours of entertainment went by in a flash, as it's so binge-worthy! While I will share some spoiler thoughts after the trailer, here are a bunch of reasons to check it out, if you haven't already done so. (And those who have will agree with me.)

1. The theme music. It's so catchy and it fits really well with the cartoon intro. It also fits with the mood of the show and gives off a podcast feel. (Not like I'd know, but I'm just guessing at that.)

2. Lots of celebrity guest stars. Sting plays himself! Tina Fey and Nathan Lane are also in it a lot. There are some Broadway stars in smaller roles and it was a fun surprise to see them. (I had even met one in person a long time ago!) Jackie Hoffman is recognizable in her small role too. (She was recently on The Politician.) And Amy Ryan (Holly from The Office) is in it a lot. It's confusing because her name is Jan on this show and someone else played a character named Jan on The Office. (And they even mention Steve Carell's role on The Office in this show.) The biggest celebrity guest surprise is Steve Martin's character's stunt double. I can't say anything more because a friend did not ruin it for me and it was worth the wait. Hilarious!

3. Dan Fogelman, executive producer (and writer) for This is Us, is also the executive producer for this show.

4. It's so funny! Lots of hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments throughout all 10 episodes.

5. There's an episode that is completely silent, told from the perspective of a character who is Deaf. (The actor playing him is Deaf too.)

6. Lots of pop culture references.

7. I love the rapport between the three main characters. I was laughing when they initially bonded over the podcast they were listening to. It reminded me of how I bond with friends over certain shows. 

8. It carries the New York vibe really well. 

9. The supporting characters are great and the actors fit those roles perfectly. 

10. The main point of the show...the mystery factor. It kept me on my toes the entire time and I was trying to guess along with them. Although I'm not a true crime fan, this show was so absorbing!

11. Steve Martin and Martin Short are so great the entire time. It's like being back in the 80s watching them on SNL or in comedic films. I was also thinking of them being in Father of the Bride together. (Who can forget Franck?)

12. It left off at a spot that's perfect for starting a second season, and thankfully it will be coming back! (The link has spoilers.)

Check out the trailer:

 

Spoilers:

*

*

*

*

*

I did not guess that the murderer would turn out to be who it was. I had my eye on some characters who had blended into the background a bit more, like the guy who lived next door to Charles. My friend guessed it though and I have no idea how! (She said it's a gift. :) ) As soon as they revealed what the one "sex toy" was, my jaw dropped. 

I loved, loved, loved Jane Lynch as Charles's stunt double. So unexpected, yet so perfect. She was hilarious and the scenes with her had me roaring with laughter.

The cat in the freezer scene was also really funny. 

The two Broadway cameos I recognized were Mandy Gonzalez and Ali Stroker. (Mandy is the one I met.) To me, Mandy is still 25, so I was surprised to see her as Mabel's mom. She's only two years younger than me in real life though.

After seeing In the Heights in 2009

I can't wait to find out how Bunny got killed. I didn't see that part coming at all, even though she was so nasty to everyone. 

I thought that everything was going to be wrapped up by episode eight, but then had a feeling we were just getting warmed up....

If you've seen this show, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following me.

Maid has got it made!

Courtesy of SpoilerTV

When I first heard about the book Maid (which I never got around to reading) becoming a TV series, I was curious to check it out. A few friends recommended it, as well. I was hooked from the very beginning of the first episode and then taken on this emotional ride throughout all ten of them. Margaret Qualley was fantastic as Alex and her performance was flawless throughout. If she doesn't get an Emmy for this next year, I will be completely shocked. 

I will be posting spoilers after the trailer, but here are some reasons to watch it, if you haven't yet thought to do so.

1. Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell are not only mother and daughter on the show, but also in real life. (Margaret even looks like her mom did at that age!)

2. The little girl who plays Maddy is so adorable! I was impressed that she was played by one actress the entire time, instead of twins. I love how she only wanted to listen to "Shoop" (brings back 90s memories) and that she had this mermaid doll named Shmariel.

3. It's impossible to not get emotionally invested. 

4. There are some actors who you may recognize aside from Margaret and Andie. Nick Robinson from Love, Simon plays Alex's ex-boyfriend. Raymond Ablack from Degrassi and Ginny and Georgia plays Alex's friend. Anika Noni Rose, who has performed on stage and also did the voice of Tiana in The Princess and the Frog, plays a woman who Alex cleans for and later becomes a confidant to. Erin Karpluk from Being Erica and A Million Little Things plays a small role, as well. (I was also excited to find out that Jessica Steen, from my favorite movie, Sing, also has a small role.) If you are ready to read the spoilers, I found two other people I recognized. :)

5. It's just such an interesting story and stays that way the entire time. Seeing Alex trying to get back on her feet is worthy of cheering on every time she has a win and then you want to cry for her each time she experiences a setback. 

6. This show will stay with you for a long time. It will also help you see what you take for granted. 

Funny story: One night we were watching an episode and our younger son came downstairs to tell us he was going to take a bath. Right after that, Alex told Maddy it was time to take a bath. Such funny timing!

**Please keep in mind that there are triggers for abuse/domestic violence throughout the series.**

Watch the trailer:

 

Thoughts with spoilers:

*

*

*

*

1. There were so many times I wanted to reach through the screen and slap Alex's mom and dad. Mostly her mom, but definitely her dad by the end. One of the first was when her mom and Basil took Alex out for dinner and then expected her to pay for everything when she barely had a dollar to her name! My husband said that her mom was like an older version of Kimmy Gibbler from Full House. Her dad really infuriated me at the end when he wouldn't stand up for Alex in regards to Sean being emotionally abusive.

2. I like how there were some symbolic things and how we'd view the story from Alex's mind, like when they were in court and people kept saying "legal, legal, legal..."

3. I loved her friend Danielle and was so sad that she went back to her abusive relationship and then pretended not to know Alex when they ran into each other later on. 

4. I really liked how Regina came around and helped Alex later on. I think she really did see Alex as more than a maid, even when Yolanda had told Alex otherwise.

5. There were so many things that were just so frustrating, like all the hoops Alex had to jump through. Or when a client cancelled and then Alex lost payment from that. 

6. Sean was so infuriating overall, but he had some redeeming moments that most other guys in his position are too selfish to even consider. 

7. I really liked Denise, who ran the DV shelter. I was sad to find out that she was also a victim and her happiest day story was so harrowing. 

8. The show had some funny moments to balance out all the darkness, which I appreciated.

9. That one house Alex had to clean was so disgusting. I couldn't even imagine having to deal with all that. Also, the time when she was in another house and got stuck in that crawlspace was so anxiety-provoking. I hate the idea of getting trapped into a small space like that.

10. I love how Alex was helping the woman who was a hoarder and how she helped Alex in turn with building up her business and starting to get back on her feet some more. 

11. I liked when they would show how much Alex was spending and how the amount of money she had kept dwindling. It made things feel even more desperate for her.

12. I loved the montage with "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen. It was such an uplifting moment.

13. I recognized two minor actors from The Baby-Sitters Club in small parts on this show. One was the girl playing the piano at one of the houses where Alex was cleaning. She was the girl in "Kristy and the Snobs." The woman Alex rented the nice house from (that Sean got her kicked out of) was Stacey's doctor in "Stacey's Emergency."

14. The boutique at the DV shelter made me think of a non-profit in our area where I have volunteered a couple of times. Having volunteered, I understand why they made it feel like an actual store.

15. In the last two episodes, Regina helps Alex secure a pro-bono lawyer who really helps her out with the whole custody situation so that Alex can move to Montana with Maddy. I have taken to calling her a "magic fairy lawyer." I know people who could really use someone like this, particularly one of my close friends. So if anyone has connections to a "magic fairy lawyer" in Maryland, please let me know and I will share the information with my friend. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Maid! Please feel free to share them in the comments.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following me.