Wake Up!: Thoughts on Jagged Little Pill

 

What Gen X woman has not jammed to Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album? It’s such a centerpiece of nineties music. This album always takes me back to the first time I heard it. I had this friend whom I would go on long car rides with in the summer between freshman and sophomore year of college. (And then we’d go to this really good Greek fast food place each time.) She had just bought the cassette and started playing it for me. I was hooked right away, as it was so good. Of course, “You Oughta Know” was the first song she wanted me to hear. I got the cassette when I went back to college and listened to it all the time. It definitely reminds me of being in college whenever I hear it. I especially love the hidden track, as it’s so melancholy and it’s great to sing a cappella. My favorites are some of the B-sides, like “Wake Up” and “Not the Doctor.” 

When I first heard about the musical Jagged Little Pill, which featured the songs from that iconic album and a few others by Alanis, I knew I had to see it. I bought the original Broadway cast recording and listened to it often. My older son was also into the music and that got him liking Alanis Morissette. We could finally connect about my music the same way Rags to Riches and dining at Ed Debevic's made me appreciate my parents' music (but only a bit for that). So when it came on tour to DC, we got tickets and counted down the days. Showtime finally happened this past weekend!

We saw a Sunday matinee at the National Theater. The show was scheduled for 2:00, but it ended up starting at 2:30 due to some technical difficulties. Thankfully, they made an announcement or we would have been sitting there wondering what was going on. When the show finally started, it was well worth the 30 minute (and almost three-and-a-half year) wait. There was so much energy from the moment the ensemble started singing the opening number and it carried throughout the show. 

While Heidi Blickenstaff was cast as Mary Jane in the National Tour, she was not performing when we saw it. However, Bligh Voth was so incredible in the role that I didn't even miss Heidi. (That also happened when I first saw Wicked and Shoshana Bean was playing Elphaba instead of Idina. Never underestimate an understudy!) She reminded me of Liz from Shrinking in some ways. And her voice was gorgeous. I was just completely impressed by her the entire time! 

Everyone in the show, from leads to ensemble, was just amazing. Jade McLeod was so perfect as Jo and had such a powerhouse of a voice. They rocked "You Oughta Know". Lauren Chanel was great as Frankie and gave a powerful performance, as well. I really liked Allison Sheppard as Bella and Dillon Klena also stood out as Nick. His brother, Derek, played that role on Broadway. Rishi Golani did really well in the role of Phoenix. We even got to chat with him after the show and he was really nice. 

I liked how everyone used the stage and props throughout the show. The furniture pieces were on wheels and the cast was able to move them around while performing. The set itself was mostly video screens that would move around to depict different scenery. I love how they worked it that way and sometimes it reminded me of the digital set in Mean Girls. The swing set that was occasionally brought on stage was cool and the actors could even sit on top of it. 

The choreography was mostly interpretive as compared to most shows I've seen. Like the dancers were acting out what was happening in the story. The dancing overall was really good and definitely acrobatic. A lot of the time, there was so much happening onstage that I am glad I knew most of the songs already so I could focus more on the action and not have to worry about hearing the lyrics. Thankfully, they didn't change the lyrics from the cast recording and only shortened one song toward the end (which was more of a background song). 

Courtesy of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

As for the story, I had no idea what this musical was going to be about. I heard bits and pieces here and there, but not enough to understand what was actually going to happen. The songs didn't give away any context aside from "You Oughta Know", which I knew that Jo was going to sing and that it was about Frankie leaving them for someone else. So I was completely surprised about everything that had happened and it wasn't predictable at all. I don't want to share much about it as to not spoil it for anyone else. If you're really that curious, you can look it up online. The show starts and ends with a Christmas card family update letter. That's all I will say. There is humor throughout the musical, even though the story is pretty heavy. I will share trigger warnings at the bottom of this post for anyone who wants to know what they are. Some aspects of this show made me think of Degrassi though.

There were some annoying audience behaviors that served as distractions. Like people getting up in the middle of the show to go to the bathroom. (We had thirty extra minutes before the show started and there was an intermission!) Or people talking and crinkling bags behind us. I noticed some people left halfway through and didn't come back. Perhaps the show was too woke for them? 

Overall, it was a great production. I could feel the beat of the music in my seat on the mezzanine level. It was hard not to mouth the words of the songs so I'm glad I had a mask on. :) I'm glad I went in not knowing the story and it was easy to follow overall. (Although I did have to ask my son why they performed one of the songs a certain way.) If you are local and get a chance to see it in DC before it leaves next weekend, definitely check it out. If it is coming to a city near you, be sure to get tickets!

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TW: Rape, addiction, cyberbullying 

The Guest Gets What the Guest Wants: My Thoughts on Acapulco

 

Courtesy of IMDb

A couple of my friends had recommended Acapulco to me, so I decided to give it a try. I am SO glad I did since I totally loved all of it! Seasons one and two were so great and I'm excited for season three now. It can't get here fast enough!

Acapulco reminds me of a few other past favorites of mine (as they are no longer on or I am no longer watching them, in one case). The first is Jane the Virgin. It carries the campy telenovela feel that I always got from that show. And young Maximo's voice reminds me of Rogelio. Plus, it takes place at a hotel and a lot of Jane was set at a hotel too.  Next is The Goldbergs, mostly because of all the eighties nostalgia. Maximo's nephew Hugo is precocious like Adam was back in the day. The present time narration of past events reminds me of How I Met Your Mother, especially in the quirky way that Maximo does it. He keeps trying to protect Hugo from having too much information by using other words to describe things, which is something that older Ted would do all the time. ("Stuff, kids. Stuff.") There is one aspect of this show that reminds me so much of Love, Victor. Maximo's sister Sara also reminds me of Victor's sister Pilar in some ways. Finally, the virtual vacation feel totally gives off White Lotus vibes, even though this show is lighter than White Lotus in most ways.

If that hasn't given you enough reason to watch Acapulco, here are some more:

1. All the characters are great. (Well, there are a couple who aren't so great but they're only in one episode.) Even the ones who aren't supposed to be likable change a lot by the end of season two. 

2. The eighties music, and it's all performed in Spanish by these two fabulously entertaining singers. 

3. There are some mystery elements involved. Not murder mystery, just secrets that get revealed in bits and pieces, if at all. (There are still some mysteries left to be solved by the time season two wraps up.)

4. The story has so much heart to it. Even with all the light and fun moments, there are some deeper things being explored, such as relationships, friendship, family, regret, morality, etc. 

5. There's a lot of humor in each episode. It provides a great balance of comic relief from everything else going on. 

6. I love the setting of the hotel. It's gorgeous and looks like it would be so much fun to visit. I wouldn't mind hanging out by the pool to watch the performers in their different costumes. (See #2.)

7. It's empowering. Watching Maximo try to work his way up the ladder was definitely a point of interest. I loved seeing him come up with ways to make things better for the hotel when he was put to the task.

8. It feels very authentic in terms of casting and culture. I only knew who two of the actors were going into this. One was Eugenio Derbez, who plays adult Maximo (and I liked him in this even more than I did in CODA). The other was Chord Overstreet (from Glee), who plays Chad. I liked that everyone else was virtually unknown to me. (There were some familiar faces in a couple episodes though, such as Wendie Malick as Diane's agent and Will Sasso as Maximo's assistant.) I also liked learning about different customs and traditions. 

9. I love that it doesn't just focus on Maximo's story. I especially enjoyed seeing flashbacks for Don Pablo and Diane's lives in certain episodes. I'm glad Memo got his own storyline too. I'm hoping we'll continue to learn more about some of the other characters in season three. 

10. It has an LGBTQ+ sub plot (hence the Love, Victor comparison). It's not all light and breezy either. Things were different in the eighties (even though it's still hard for some people nowadays, it was a lot harder back then). 

If you still don't believe me, check out the trailer. (I'll be posting some spoilers afterward, so don't go any further than that if you're new to this show.)

Spoilers ahead...

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First of all, the season two ending....OMG!!! I am still reeling from that very last moment before the credits. Such a game changer with the reveal that Maximo has a daughter. Wow. 

Brief thoughts on the characters:

Maximo: He is more of a complex character than I was expecting him to be. He had a lot of moments where he questioned his morality and whether or not he was doing the right thing. I love how he sacrificed getting credit for making Julia the dress in order to help his mom fix her vision. I also get why he went to certain lengths to get money. And I actually don't blame him for tipping off Espectacular about the tennis guy's wig. The tennis guy was such a jerk! 

Julia: She's definitely girlcrush worthy. I appreciate her kindness, especially when she took Sara in after Sara ran away from home and told her why. The on-again, off-again attention toward Maximo was frustrating sometimes. I'm glad she finally took ownership of what she wanted for herself. And I love her dress designs!

Memo: One of the greatest characters on this show. You'd think he's there for comic relief, but he's a sensitive soul too. I felt so bad for him when Lupe was keeping him from seeing Lorena and then when Lorena told him she wasn't able to come back to the resort for the summer. I also like that he was the voice of reason for Maximo. 

Esteban: He is just so lovable. I love how he dotes upon Nora. He reminds me of Miguel from This is Us in some ways. I felt so bad for him when his mom was picking on him and then comparing him to Don Pablo. And I loved how he saved the day when Sara tried going away with Roberta. 

Hugo: Maximo's nephew is so much fun. I love how he always calls Maximo out on stuff and he knows more than Maximo thinks he does. "Why were you playing dominoes when you could be having sex?" Too funny! 

Sara: I love how eighties-centric she is with how she dresses and dances around. I also like how she figured out that she really is a lesbian, even though I felt bad for the guy who was interested in her. I'm glad she decided to come home and that things got better between her and Nora. 

Nora: I found Nora really frustrating for a while with how uptight she was with her religious beliefs. I'm glad she loosened up more, even though it took a while for that to happen. I did feel bad for her that Sara ran away from home, but I also was angry with her for not being supportive of Sara and hiding behind her religion instead. She and Esteban were really cute together though. 

Don Pablo: I liked him a lot throughout the series, but I was annoyed that he didn't push back more in order to get time with his family. I was glad when he finally resigned, even though I could tell that his son wasn't so happy to have him around all the time. I love how he took Maximo under his wing to help him succeed at the hotel. 

Diane: I liked her a lot more after learning her backstory and why she hated tabloids so much. I didn't appreciate her trying to mess things up for Chad and Julia. She should have just been more straightforward with them to begin with. She reminded me a bit of Jennifer Coolidge sometimes. I also thought it was funny how no one appreciated her attempts at humor. 

Chad: He can come off as a douche, but I also like that he has a good heart overall. His stupidity could be amusing though. I love when Maximo tricked him into thinking his one friend was dangerous. I love how he became friends with Memo and how Memo was imitating him in front of all the other "Chads." I also thought it was cute how he learned to salsa dance because of the change in wedding music plans and then learned something about himself in the process. 

Lupe: She reminds me of Selma from Reboot with her dry humor. She's so much fun to watch and full of interesting surprises. She can sing! Who knew? I really love what she did for Memo and Lorena in the season two finale, even though she put a condition on it afterward... 

Hector: Hector can be a pain to deal with, but he grew on me after a while and I felt bad for him when Diane ended their affair. I didn't even want to see him potentially take the fall for Maximo's press leak. 

Isabel: I liked her in general, but not as a girlfriend for Maximo. There was just no chemistry. Maybe I was biased toward him being with Julia though. Isabel has a good head on her shoulders even if she steals little things from the hotel. 

Some of the side characters, such as Beto, the singing duo, and a few others were also really good. I really liked Lorena a lot, as well. I wasn't so fond of Fabian, but I'm glad he was willing to cooperate with Diane at the end. 

Other notes:

The older version of Memo was cast perfectly. I also love that young Memo was playing his son, Memito. He took on such a different personality for that too.

On a similar note, I didn't think young Maximo and adult Maximo looked anything alike.

I did some math in the episode about the decades and figured out that Maximo was about 17 when he started at Las Colinas. He was born in 1967, based on the show's timeline, and the story takes place in 1984. (Unless I'm mistaken and that was Sara who Nora was holding when Don Pablo came by, but I'm pretty sure it was Maximo.) Isn't Julia in her twenties though? 

I hope they will reveal who Chad's father is in season three. That's definitely a lingering mystery.

I love how everyone came together to throw a party for Esteban and Nora's wedding. That was just so sweet and touching. 

Since you've come this far, it means you've watched the show. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Who by Fire?: Thoughts on Bad Sisters

Courtesy of Apple TV +

A couple of my friends kept recommending Bad Sisters recently. I had heard very little about it and wasn't really sure what to expect. The biggest draw was a certain actor, which I will say more about soon enough... Anyway, from the very first episode, I was completely absorbed. I knew I would love it when it started with Grace covering up her dead husband's post-mortem "excitement". Then we are quickly introduced to her four sisters, who we get to know a lot better over the season. And everyone can agree with them about John Paul (Grace's husband) needing to be out of the picture immediately. (Listen to the song "Goodbye Earl" by The Chicks and you'll know what I'm talking about. Watch the video, while you're at it.) 

While we know from the beginning is that John Paul (JP) is dead, but we don't know how it happened or who did it. That's where the story gets really, really interesting! It feels like a mix of Desperate Housewives and a Marian Keyes novel (probably closest to This Charming Man). The latter is because it takes place in Ireland.

I can't stop recommending this show! And I'm so glad to hear that a second season is in the works. Here are some reasons you should watch it. (Get a free trial of Apple TV + just to binge this and some other great shows--ahem, Ted Lasso--if you don't already have it.) I will share spoilers after the trailer, so stick around if you're already a fan of this show and want to discuss it further.

1. If you've seen Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, the hottie from that movie has a big role on this show. I like him better without facial hair, but to each their own.

2. Each of the sisters has a compelling narrative, especially in regard to why they are wishing for JP's demise.

3. While it's definitely a drama, there are a bunch of funny moments and lines.

4. Once you get into this show, you will easily become addicted. Perhaps even obsessed!

5. The setting is so beautiful. 

6. The mystery really keeps you on your toes and has you guessing along with some of the other characters. 

7. It allows you to enjoy a revenge fantasy. Believe me, there are some people who are even worse than JP (if that's even possible) and I still fantasize about delivering their karma but don't want to mess things up for other innocent people as a result. 

8. There's a lot to discuss. You're welcome to contact me to discuss it once you've watched. I'd love to watch it again vicariously through you.

9. The theme song is really catchy. I had no idea P.J. Harvey was the one singing it. However, it also reminds me of Rosh Hashanah... Honestly, all of the music is really good and it definitely sets a mood for the show.

10. There are some LGBTQ+ characters. 

Trailer:

If you're new to this show...time to close out this post. Come back when you've finished watching.

If you've seen Bad Sisters, stick around to read more of my thoughts, with spoilers.

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Let's start with the obvious...JP. As Audrey II once said in Little Shop of Horrors: "A lot of folks deserve to die..." This totally applies to JP. He has now joined the ranks of Terry Silver from Cobra Kai, Percival Pickens from Riverdale, and Greg from White Lotus as one of my most hated fictional characters of all time. I gave him the middle finger and shouted lots of expletives at him, he was that truly awful. Even though we knew he was going to die eventually, I kept hoping that each attempt on his life would be the final one so we wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. He just became more and more hateful throughout the season! He looks like a mix between Ty Burrell and a young Pierce Brosnan, with a little Chris Noth mixed in. Every time he opens his mouth, I want to smack him. I was cheering on anyone who took him on physically. I especially love when Gabriel pushed him into the urinal! I could go on all day talking about what an effing piece of sh-t he is, but I want to get to the other characters sometime this century. I'll leave you with this: Among all the horrible, disgusting, despicable things he's done, one of the worst was what he did to Roger. Roger did NOTHING to him. G-d forbid he was kind to Grace. It wasn't like he was competition. He could practically be Grace's father. But JP couldn't handle him being nice to Grace and basically ruined his life! And then he had the nerve to treat Roger like crap when Roger tried to forgive him. Wow. Just...wow.

Now moving on to the sisters!

First we have Grace, the widow of the vile JP. Let me just say right off the bat that I knew she was the one who killed him. Her alibi wasn't tight and I had a feeling she was just going to snap after all the mean things he said to her. It made me sad how she was so diminished by him all the time and I know it was hard for Blanaid to see that happening. I also got annoyed at how she would stand up or make excuses for him. So I applauded the way she killed him and how she staged it to make it look like an accident. It also made me sad that she tried reinventing herself by taking classes but then felt so little confidence that she couldn't stick with them. 

Then there's Eva. Sharon Horgan (who also created the show) played this role really well. Not only is Eva the oldest sister, but she's also the de facto parent after both the sisters' parents died. She has a lot of pressure on her shoulders, as well as a lot of loss to carry around; the loss of a baby and the ending of her relationship with someone she really loved. Not only that, but she works with JP and he's spreading lies about her to get the promotion she wanted. He even alienated her from her closest work friend. So she's definitely had motive to kill him. 

Next is Ursula, who is having an affair, even though her husband is great. I don't even like the guy she's having an affair with. However, that doesn't give JP the right to harass her about it and follow her around. I will say that she was stupid not to lock her phone. Who keeps it open like that for anyone to get into? Especially since she has a lot to hide. I was so stressed out by JP messing with her phone and tricking her into sending him that picture though. I don't blame her sisters for getting in his face about it and I especially don't blame her for wanting to end his life. I love how she had access to all those drugs and she knew the best ones to use for the job at hand.

Bibi also has a reason for wanting him dead. He caused the accident that made her lose an eye. Also, she's very protective of Grace. I feel like she was more guarded than the others and that while JP did something awful to her in the past, he wasn't currently making her life as hellish as he was for the other sisters. I love how her wife also hated JP on her behalf. I also loved seeing her interactions with her son. I wish she had some closure with the guy she injured though. I think she could have explained that it was an accident and related to him about what it was like to lose an eye so traumatically. 

Saving my favorite sister for last, and she also happens to be the youngest anyway. Becka! She's the one who has her life the least together, but she's also the most lovable of the five. I consider her girl-crush worthy. I've never seen Eve Hewson in anything (at least not that I'm aware of), but I love how she plays this role. I've even cast her in one of the books I've been reading recently. Anyway, I felt so bad for her when she accidentally killed Minna (JP's mom), thinking that it was JP. I loved her relationship with Minna and I had a feeling that would happen when she didn't look at who had actually gone into the freezer. I'm also sad that things didn't work out with Matt, all things considered. They were cute together! He also lied to her about his job, so she had no reason to tell him who she was. I was annoyed that he got mad at her for being one of the sisters when they met under different circumstances anyway. I also love how she screamed at JP, not because he lied to her about funding her massage studio, but because of what he did to Ursula. 

Now for the supporting characters, who do have pretty big roles of their own. 

Thomas: I am back and forth on him. Most of the time, I just can't stand him. Especially when he was playing detective and asking everyone intrusive questions and stealing their garbage. However, I do like how he's so loving to his wife and I also feel bad for him with the money situation. 

Matt: I think I have a bias toward him since the actor playing him was Leo Grande. As I said before though, he needs to lose the facial hair. I do have mixed feelings on him too though. He seems like the more laid-back Claffin brother, but it turns out that he was just as invested in trying to get the truth about JP's death. I'm sure he made some deal with Grace in the end so that she wouldn't go to prison and his insurance company wouldn't have to pay the claim. I also got annoyed by how he would go all hot and cold with Becka. I know it was a conflict of interest, but it was still frustrating... 

Roger: He was such a kind neighbor and he got hurt in such a horrible way, thanks to JP. I love that he helped Grace set it up so that JP's death looked like an accident. I hope he'll move someplace else and find a way to get his reputation back. 

Blanaid: I like that she could see through JP in some ways. I didn't like that she was so hard on Grace though. I know it was hard for her to see her mom being diminished and abused by JP, but she could have been more supportive. I felt bad for her with the cat situation and I hate that she blamed Grace for it. I know JP gaslit her into thinking that way, but still...

Finally, my top five favorite side characters:

1. Theresa: Thomas's very much pregnant wife, who tells it like it is all the time. 

2. Detective Loftus: The Garda who puts Thomas in his place a few times.

3. Minna: She seemed really sweet and I feel bad for her after what happened to George and how JP always treats her. I wonder if she knew about George being in the freezer all along or if she just went looking for Becka and happened to stumble into the freezer where she met her final fate.

4. Gabriel: I really wish things had worked out with him and Eva. I know it wouldn't be romantically, but I'm so sad that JP got into his head like that to ruin their friendship. 

5. Nora: Bibi's wife is great and I love how she supports Bibi in the fight against JP, even if she doesn't always agree with her. 

Overall, just an amazing show that I still can't stop thinking about. I'd love to hear your thoughts, including predictions for season two.

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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 2022

Courtesy of Metro

I realize I didn't blog here a lot this year, and when I did, it was about pop culture. It's been that kind of year, I suppose...

New (to me) TV shows that I enjoyed in 2022 (in no particular order):

Riverdale: Seasons 1-3, Seasons 4-6

I can't wait for season seven!

Heartstopper: I love the graphic novels and this series brings them to life in the most touching and beautiful ways. The two leads are adorable!

Courtesy of IMDb

How I Met Your Father: I was skeptical at first, but this is a fun series and I'm excited for it to return in late January. There are even some cameos from HIMYM.

Maggie: Such a sweet sitcom and I'm sad that it wasn't picked up for a second season. I hope to see Rebecca Rittenhouse in something else soon. 

The Time Traveler's Wife: This series was so much better than the movie. It gave new life to the book and went even beyond that. Three words: Naked Theo James. :)

The Sex Lives of College Girls: What comes between Never Have I Ever and Sex and the City. This is such a fun series and I'm glad it will be getting a third season. 

Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

Virgin River: If Schitt's Creek was my sanity saver in 2020 and Ted Lasso was my sanity saver in 2021, then Virgin River takes the title for 2022. I love everything about this show and am eagerly awaiting season five. It's such a comfort show, even with the elements of danger.

I Love That for You: Quirky comedy starring Molly Shannon and Vanessa Bayer. I hope there will be another season. It's really well written!

Reboot: I wasn't sure I was going to like this at first, but then I really got into it and it had more layers than I was even expecting. 

Courtesy of TV Insider

The White Lotus: I still can't stop thinking about this show!

Runners up:

The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem: It's an interesting show but some parts are really gross and unnecessary. It's also hard to like most of the characters.

The Summer I Turned Pretty: This is more for the Gen Z crowd and it's hard to feel sorry for someone who has multiple guys interested in her.

Courtesy of IMDb

Partner Track: I liked it overall, but it was a slow build and Ingrid could be really frustrating. I also didn't understand all the law terminology.

Queer as Folk: I had hopes this would be better than it was, but I felt like I was jumping into the middle of something that had no context and most of the characters got in their own way. 

The Kids in the Hall (reboot): It was nice to see the guys again after all this time, but a lot of the humor was tone-deaf. We did get some good inside jokes out of it though.

Courtesy of IMDb

The vote is still out on Wednesday, as I am still in the middle of it, but I wouldn't say it's a favorite even though it's really well done. It's clever and Jenna Ortega is great in the titular role.

Favorite movies from 2022 (links are to trailers):

Turning Red: One of the few recent Pixar films that had an emotional impact for me.

Better Nate Than Ever: Really cute. Follows the book for the most part, with a few changes. Definitely got me teary-eyed.

Where the Crawdads Sing: First (and only) movie I saw in the theater since the pandemic started. Followed the book really well with great acting throughout.

I Want You Back: Such a cute and fun rom-com! And there's a nod to Little Shop of Horrors.

Matilda: One of the better movie musicals I've seen lately. 

Rosaline: Another cute rom-com set in Shakespearian times. Somewhat made up for not getting to the Ren Faire this year...

Moonshot: I don't think it's available on HBO anymore, so I'm glad I caught it when I did, as it was really good. It helps that Cole Sprouse was one of the leads...

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.

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.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

For the Love of Friends by Sara Goodman Confino

The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn

Playing With Myself by Randy Rainbow

The Maid by Nita Prose

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr

Theater:

It was so nice to go see live theater again this year. It started out in February with a performance of A.D. 16 at a local professional theater. Since it was written by Cinco Paul (Schmigadoon), my oldest and I were excited to see it. While it was a fun show with good music, my son liked it more than I did. I think I was expecting it to be as funny as Schmigadoon...

In March, I took my oldest to see Rent at the National Theater. We had seen filmed productions of it, but it was so much fun to see it live with him. Most of the cast did a great job, but Roger's voice seemed weak. 

In April, we finally got to see Mean Girls. Here are my thoughts on that performance.

In July, my oldest and I saw The Band's Visit at Kennedy Center. I was excited about it because one of the actors from Shtisel played the lead male character. When we arrived, I was even more excited to find out that Janet Dacal from the Original Broadway Cast of In the Heights was playing the lead female character. The show was decent with some good music, but it was hard to follow what was going on sometimes.

Right before my birthday, we got to see Six. That was amazing!!! Here are my thoughts.

A few days later, my husband and I saw a Second City show at Kennedy Center for my birthday. It was really funny and totally on point with all the commentary about politics and today's society. 

We're supposed to see Beauty and the Beast this week, but it was cancelled twice before when we tried to see it this month, so I am keeping my fingers crossed...

I recently got into the music from Carrie: The Musical, thanks to Riverdale. I'd love to see a performance of this someday!

Famous people I want to meet:

Cole Sprouse. That's all. (Not me being a cougar or anything...)

Courtesy of Puzzle Factory

Highlights from 2022:

* My nephew's arrival in August. He's the cutest little guy and I love seeing pictures of him and doing video chats. I can't wait until the next time I get to hold him again. This is the first nephew on my side of the family and I adore him so much!

* Seeing Rocky Horror with my oldest a couple times. I still remember most of the lines and it was so much fun to shout them at the screen. My oldest thought they were really funny too. Our shared favorite is "I hate celery!" I didn't realize how much I missed the experience of Rocky Horror until I did it again. And it's good to know that most of the lines are universal and don't just apply to one theater in the Chicago suburbs. :) 

* Running blog tours for my job. It's one of my favorite things to do for the company I work with and I get good turnouts each time.

* My oldest getting his license. While I'm going to get a lot more gray hairs from this, I appreciate that I don't have to do as much driving. 

* My younger two kids graduating from elementary and middle school. 

* Seeing my oldest in his school play and musical and seeing my youngest in her camp musicals.

* Celebrating 20 years of being with my husband altogether. (Also 18 years of marriage.)

* Seeing "Will" again on our way to Chicago. 

* Reuniting with some friends while we were in Chicago. 

* Going to Pride Fest. It's been so long since I had last done anything fun to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride.

* Getting to see Liza Wiemer again. She's a fantastic author and if you haven't read The Assignment yet, you definitely should! Along with Liza, I also got to see my friend Kelly again. Liza is the one who introduced us.

* Getting to meet up with some other friends I hadn't seen in person since before the pandemic. 

* Meeting Camille Di Maio in person, as she's an author whose historical fiction novels I really like. She is absolutely lovely in person as she is online!

* Going to Philadelphia over President's weekend. We visited a really interesting museum called Wonderspaces and also got to explore the Franklin Institute. 

* The election having better results than I was expecting. While we avoided a red wave, there were still some disappointments, but we did pretty well as a country, overall. 

On a sad note, this year brought an unexpected loss to our family. In early August, my father-in-law passed away from a sudden heart attack. I am thankful that we saw him over Memorial Day weekend, but I didn't expect that to be the last time we'd ever see him again and forgot to take pictures with him. I'm still processing his passing and I know it has had an impact on my husband. He got to say goodbye to his father in person, even though it was difficult to see him that way. I feel awful for his half-sisters and stepmother, but the upside is that my husband has reconnected with them as a result. 

Anyway, I hope 2023 only brings good things to everyone. 

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A Virtual Vacation: Thoughts on The White Lotus

 

Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

Courtesy of IMDb

I don't know what made me want to watch The White Lotus recently. Perhaps some posts on social media? All I know is that I decided to check it out one day and now I can't stop thinking about it! For me, it's on par with Six Feet Under in terms of how it is so cleverly done. The writing is beyond incredible and I love all the acting too. (I'm surprised only three actors got Golden Globe nods.) The stories and characters are unique to each season and only one storyline carries over from the first season to the second.

I'm going to share reasons why you should watch it and then I will post spoilers further below so that you can opt out if you haven't seen it yet. (But come back once you have!)

1. Both seasons start with a mystery. There's a dead body involved, but you won't know whose it is until the last episode. So you're guessing all the time how things will unfold and who will be the unfortunate victim. 

2. It is full of celebrities. Aside from Jennifer Coolidge, season one has Connie Britton, Steve Zahn, Alexandra Daddario, and Molly Shannon. I also recognized the main actress from Little Voice, Brittany O'Grady. Season two has Aubrey Plaza, Theo James, Michael Imperioli, F. Murray Abraham, Haley Lu Richardson, Tom Hollander, and Meghann Fahy (fans of The Bold Type will recognize her). Even one of the actors from Emily in Paris is in a few episodes!

3. The settings are amazing! Season one is in Hawaii and season two is in Sicily. I literally felt like I was transported from my couch into these settings and could smell the fresh sea air and taste all the delicious looking food. It made me want to go to an all-inclusive resort again. 

4. It is really funny. Not funny in a comedic way, but in a bizarre way. I laughed out loud many times though. 

5. The lesser known actors keep it really interesting. I had never seen the actor who plays Armand in season one or the actress who plays Belinda in season one, but they were both so interesting to watch. As for season two, I loved the two Italian girls and I even warmed to Valentina after a while. 

6. The music fits so well with everything else on the show. It just accents the mood and feels so authentic to the setting.

7. It's just so intelligent. It doesn't go over anyone's head though. There is a lot of commentary made about today's society, wealth, relationships, etc. 

8. Once you've seen one episode, you'll want to very quickly binge the rest and you also won't be able to stop thinking about it. 

9. There's a decent amount of LGBTQ+ representation in both seasons. 

If I haven't convinced you to watch yet, then perhaps the trailers will. (The season two trailer may have a light spoiler for season one.)

Season one trailer:

 

 Season two trailer:

  

Spoilers ahead....

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It will take a long time to discuss each and every character, so I'm going to just share my favorites and least favorites for each season. 

Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) is a mix for both seasons. I liked her one moment and got really annoyed with her the next. That went back and forth a lot. However, I didn't want her to be the tragic victim at the end of season two. (Just for fun, Nicole Travolta does a great impression of her.) The irony of her saving herself from being killed by Greg's gay mafia and then drowning anyway was just too much and I am still processing it. 

Season one:

Favorite characters:

Rachel: It's impossible not to like her. I just don't get why she was with Shane. She could do so much better. I was annoyed that she went back to him at the end of the season.

Belinda: An easy favorite. She was so kind to Tanya and put up with so much from her. I felt so bad that she got screwed over and never got to open her own spa. I love that Tanya made a reference to this in season two and assumed that Belinda cursed her. I kind of hope she did!

Quinn: He reminds me of my younger son in lots of ways. He was definitely misunderstood by everyone and I'm actually glad he stayed behind, even though I wouldn't have been happy about that if I were actually his mother. 

Least favorite characters:

Shane: He is such a tool. I wish he would have just gotten over the whole hotel room issue and just enjoyed getting some perks out of it instead. I'm sure Armand would have been nicer to him if he had just backed off. 

Mark: I just found him incredibly annoying. It's sad that it had to take an act of heroism, where he still ended up getting injured, for his wife to respect him again. 

Olivia: She was so vapid and I thought it was rude of her to go after the guy Paula liked. And then she wondered why Paula didn't trust her. 

Armand falls somewhere in the middle. He is a piece of work but he's also the most interesting and the most flawed. I didn't like that he stole the girls' drugs and used them and then lied about it but I also love the sick way he got revenge on Shane (even though it was pretty gross). I did not expect him to be the one to end up dead and I had actually hoped it would be Greg with all his health problems. (I originally worried it would be Rachel because of how Shane acts at the beginning of the season.) I didn't like Greg and hate him even more in season two.

Paula also falls in the middle. There are things that are likable about her, but I also didn't think it was cool for her to indirectly steal from her friend's family, even if it was for a good cause. I don't blame her for wanting to help Kai. Did he turn himself in though? Or was he caught somehow? 

I loved Molly Shannon as Shane's mom. She's always so great! If you haven't seen I Love that For You, she has a really big part on that series and she's fantastic.

Season two:

Favorite characters:

Lucia: I don't care if she was playing Albie to get all that money (I kind of had a feeling she was to begin with), I just hope she uses it for something good, like to open the store she wanted to own. Lucia is definitely girl-crush worthy. She's stunning and I love how she puts on the pathetic act to manipulate men. She reminds me a lot of Luna from Beauty Queen of Jerusalem.

Albie: He's just a genuinely sweet guy, not to mention adorable! I felt bad for him that Portia wasn't more into him. He's a catch!

Portia: I felt bad for her having to put up with Tanya's demands and that she got caught up in the whole plan to kill Tanya (in that she was being distracted away from her). She also has girl-crush appeal, but in a cute way. The nose ring adds to her overall essence. I just don't get how she didn't know her boss was the person who died. 

Bert: He is so funny with how candid he is all the time. He reminds me of my late paternal grandfather. I think the last time I remember seeing F. Murray Abraham in anything, it was Amadeus. So it's been a while. In any case, I'm glad he got a Golden Globe nomination! Well deserved.

Mia: Mia grew on me later in the season. She has a great singing voice and seems pretty genuine, even when she's being manipulative in her own way. I actually liked that she helped Valentina out like she had promised. 

Harper: I like Aubrey Plaza a lot in general and she did an amazing job in this role. Her dry wit and cynicism balanced with her party girl drunk side was a lot of fun to watch. Another Golden Globe nomination that was definitely earned.

Least favorite characters:

Greg: OMG he is such a jerk and I hate him so much. That's all. I really do wish he was the one who ended up in the ocean. I keep thinking that Tanya McQuoid married a real dickwad.

Jack: He's such an annoying tool. I didn't even think he was as cute as Albie either. At least he didn't hurt Portia and instead gave her a warning.

Dominic: He was just boring and annoying. I would have just enjoyed Albie and Bert having a grandpa and grandson trip. Dominic knew that he wronged his wife and he somehow expected her to forgive him. He also blamed Bert a lot for his problems. Seriously? Just own it! I did think it was hilarious that he had to deal with the awkwardness of knowing Lucia slept with his son.

Giuseppe: He's just gross and predatory. And definitely lacks talent. I'm glad Valentina sent him on his way. 

Ethan: He was boring most of the season until he got angry, and even that didn't seem as convincing to me. Maybe if he showed Harper more affection during the trip, there wouldn't be all the suspicion between them. 

Like Armand, Valentina also falls in the middle. It took me a long time to warm to her but then I felt bad for her when she found out that Isabella was straight. I liked how she had the power to make whatever decisions she wanted and how she used that to help Mia keep the performing gig. 

Cam falls in the middle for me, as well. He's a bit of a douche, but it's Theo James so he's total eye candy and I love how cute he gets with Daphne.

I would have totally enjoyed hanging out with all the gay men, but finding out that they were helping Greg get rid of Tanya ruined me for them. If there was a group of gay men who didn't have an agenda, I would definitely hang out with them at a resort. I also would have enjoyed hanging out with Daphne. She just seems like she's easy to be friends with. She's so chill about everything too. 

The only thing I don't like is the opening credits. They just take forever and the music, especially in the first season, is annoying. I always skipped through them. 

Anyone care to discuss The White Lotus with me?

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The Past is Obdurate: Review of 11/22/63

I had been dragging my feet on reading Stephen King's epic novel, 11/22/63, for quite some time. A couple friends of mine have been constantly nudging me to read it, so I made it a goal for this year and bought a copy in January, knowing I would read it at some point. I finally set aside some time this fall and started it last Monday. I finished it less than a week later! This novel is 850 pages of emotion, adrenaline, and lots of "what ifs". I just couldn't put it down and now that I'm done, I can't stop thinking about it. I'm even angling to watch the TV series soon. 

Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life – a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

A tribute to a simpler era and a devastating exercise in escalating suspense, 11/22/63 is Stephen King at his epic best. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I honestly don't know why I waited so long to read this one. I found out that it published in 2011, but it only just hit my radar a few years ago when my friends kept mentioning it. I didn't give much thought about it until then, so I had no idea it had been out for eleven years. If I had read it back when it was published, Jake and I would have been the same age. However, at that time I had a five year-old, a three year-old, and a baby. So big books like this one would have scared me off. Nowadays, my kids are teens and tweens, which allows me plenty of quiet reading time and I just devoured this book whenever I had the chance. Eight hundred and fifty pages just flew by as the story was so well-written, fast-paced, and engaging throughout. So if you're ever questioning why you should invest the time to read this novel, I would encourage you to just go for it! It will be worth your while, I promise. 

This is not King's usual fare if you consider that he mostly writes horror novels. However, it has his genuine storytelling skill that I enjoyed from the few other novels of his that I have read. (Most recent before this was The Institute, reviewed here.) At times, it took on a Wally Lamb feel. There's more to the story than just the time travel element. It delves into human nature and compassion and there's a romantic storyline, as well. The level of detail is so impressive that I could just see the story playing out right in front of me. It was so well-researched too. There were some unsettling parts though, which may be hard for some readers to handle. I squirmed during those parts but then it was worth getting through each one to see what would happen next. I just had to know if Jake would accomplish his mission or if the obdurate past would continue to get in his way. 

I love the feel of a simpler time that was played out in this story, from 1958 to 1963. Sure, not everything was perfect, but I loved all the camaraderie in Jodie, especially at the school. I just can't fathom what it would be like to function without a cell phone, the Internet, GPS, etc. I give Jake kudos for getting by without all the tools of the present.

There were a lot of themes and words that ran through the story multiple times. "Jimla," for example. Or saying obdurate all the time. Also, a lot of focus on things being in harmony. He said "Land of Ago" often, as well. And "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller was constantly playing. 

Some of the stuff going on with Lee reminded me of 90 Day Fiancé. He had a wife from another country and his mother was completely overbearing. Sound familiar? :) 

Overall, I just really loved this novel and can't get enough of it. I wish there would be a sequel written about preventing something that happened about six years ago. I'm sure Stephen King would love to give that storyline a whirl, given what I've seen on his Twitter feed. 

Since there's already a TV series out there, I'm not going to cast this book. I never pictured James Franco as Jake, but would be interested to see how he takes on this role. The other roles seem pretty well cast, especially Sarah Gadon as Sadie. 

I'm going to share some spoilers down below, so back out now if you haven't read this masterpiece yet (and then come back later, after you do). 

Before I get there, I am sharing this picture on Instagram, as I found some newspapers in a box that my parents gave me during my last visit to Chicago. It seemed pretty random, but maybe they knew I had plans to read this book. Either way, it's fascinating that they held onto it for so long and I am curious to read the articles when I have a chance. 

Spoilers:

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Did Al have any clue of what could happen if Jake stopped Lee from killing JFK? It seemed like it led him to such a completely different world when he came back. Almost like a dystopia of sorts. 

How did Deke and Ellen know to look after Sadie to save her from Johnny Clayton if Jake didn't send the letter to warn them? And why would Johnny go after her if she wasn't in a new relationship anyway?

Why was the green card man trying to stop Jake from undoing his damage when he went back in?

Why wouldn't Jake want to save Harry and his family again on the last go-around, especially if he wasn't going to save JFK again? I know Harry could go off to war if he wasn't hurt, but why should his mom and siblings have to be killed again in this new timeline?

How did the mob know where Jake was living in 1963? He always hid his address when he showed his license and I thought it had his information from Jodie on there anyway. 

At the way end, what do the dates from January 2009-December 2010 and the Florida and Maine locations have to do with anything? 

If you have read this novel (which you should have if you've gotten this far), I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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