Somebody Somewhere needs to be EVERYWHERE!

 

Courtesy of IMDb

I kept hearing buzz about Somebody Somewhere. It was recommended a lot in a Schitt's Creek fan group. Then Jennifer Weiner recommended it. I also saw some posts from my friends. So I decided to give it a whirl. And I'm SO glad I did!!! If you have not watched yet, here are some reasons you'll want to check it out. And if you are a fan like me, go past the trailer for some thoughts with spoilers included.

Somebody Somewhere is basically about a woman living in a Midwestern small-town suburb/rural area. Her sister passed away and now she feels unmoored. With the help of some friends, she tries to find herself again. I'm just giving you the basics since there's so much more to the story. Also, keep in mind that it is pretty crass, especially in terms of the language being used. The c-word is thrown around a lot. There's also a bunch of toilet humor. None of that bothers me, but I wanted to give a fair warning. However, it's worth getting through the crass stuff to experience the heart of the show. I really just love everything about this show and can't stop thinking about it. I wish each season was longer than just seven thirty-minute episodes. 

I hadn't really ever seen most of the actors, but there were a few familiar faces scattered about. One of them is in season two and I only vaguely remember this actor from Will and Grace. (You'll see...) I like that it was mostly actors who were new to me. They all did a great job as an ensemble cast.

I just wish it was available in a way so that everyone could watch it. 

Reasons to watch Somebody Somewhere (there are more than 10 this time):

1. It's funny! I definitely laughed out loud a lot from each episode.

2. Sam's friendship with Joel is everything. It reminds me of David and Stevie's friendship on Schitt's Creek and makes me wish that my gay best friends still lived around the corner.

Courtesy of Chicago Sun-Times

3. Sam's voice. I don't know what it is, but the lower tone is just soothing to listen to. Especially since her sister (the other one who is still alive) sometimes sounds like Karen from Will and Grace. I enjoyed hearing her sing too.

4. Two words: Fred Rococo. You'll see... (Fred is the best. Seriously!) 

Courtesy of Jezebel

5. It has so many emotional highs and lows and you just feel like you're on this ride with Sam the whole time.

6. It's so honest and genuine. People are flawed and no one holds back from being who they are. 

7. Mike Hagerty plays Sam's dad. I mostly remember him from Overboard and Friends. He's really good in this role and just so sweet too. Even though Mike passed away, they didn't kill him off on the show. (This is not a spoiler, but it's also good to know if you don't want to watch him die all over again on a TV series.)

Courtesy of The New York Times

8. So much great LGBTQ+ representation! 🌈

9. The music! Lots of eighties throwback tunes. 

10. The cozy small-town feel. While it's not always great that everyone knows everyone else's business, I can also see why it appeals to Schitt's Creek fans (like myself) so much.

11. Everyone is so likable! Well, almost everyone. There are a couple of characters who are meant to be unlikable. But they are small potatoes and only indirectly affect Sam's life. There is one character I didn't like at first, but I now love.

12. There's no body shaming. Sam sometimes will make fun of herself, but she also is confident enough to sit around in a T-shirt and underpants while her friends are over. It's refreshing and keeps the triggers away. 

13. Sam is so relatable. I just felt so connected to her the entire time. 

14. It's being renewed for a third season because it's just that good! I'm going to go through withdrawal waiting for season three though. I miss this show so much already!

Fun side note: In one of the episodes, I recognized the first improv teacher I had at Comedy Sportz. So cool!!! (The last time I saw him was at my bachelorette party, over 19 years ago.) 

Have I sold you yet? If not, check out the trailer here:

   

 SPOILERS:

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Favorite characters:

Sam: Obviously! Such a great lead character. I said this earlier, but I definitely found her relatable in so many ways. I really liked when she put people in their place and said what she was thinking. She was also a good sister to Tricia, even though Tricia could be passive-aggressive toward her sometimes. 

Joel: At first, I thought he was going to be annoying, but after a few minutes, I realized how great he truly is. He's just so incredibly kind and I couldn't see him even hurting a fly. I loved when he went out in the storm to get the dog. His friendship with Sam was just so much fun to watch and I loved everything about it.

Fred: As I said before, Fred is the best! He has such a great personality and I love how he's always so friendly and fun to be around. He has the best sense of humor too. I love how sweet he is to his wife, as well. 

Tricia: I didn't like her for the first couple of episodes, but then she grew on me and I started liking her a lot. I felt so bad about her situation with Rick cheating on her with her best friend. I was cheering her on when she told Charity off and when she made those pillows. I like how she started to appreciate Sam more and show that she cared about her well-being. I was also surprised that she's my age, since she looks way younger. 

Ed: Sam and Tricia's dad is so wonderful. I just like everything about him. The way he dotes upon his wife made me think of how my grandpa was with my grandma. Even when he wasn't on season two, I still felt his presence. 

Least favorite characters:

Charity and Rick. That's all. Charity a lot more than Rick, only because she kept making things worse for Tricia afterward with all her stupid lies and not taking any responsibility for what happened. Grrr... 

Honestly, the mom was a piece of work, but she also was an alcoholic and beyond help after she had her stroke. It just hurt to find out that she wouldn't let Ed come to see her. I wonder what will come of her being at the place in Wichita. 

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Is it just me, or was anyone else confused by how much time had passed between the first and second season and all that had happened during that time? Like when did the mom have a stroke? Why was Joel suddenly renting out his house? Did Tricia's store close down because of what happened with Charity and Rick? Why were they getting rid of the stuff in the barn? I felt like there were missing pieces I was trying to fit into some puzzle. (If I missed something and someone wants to answer any of these questions, I would appreciate it!)

I really liked "Choir Practice" and I wish they had continued it even after Joel confessed to the priest about lying about what it really was. I thought they were setting up the barn as a new "Choir Practice" venue, but then it seemed like nothing ever came of it. When Sam first went there, it made me think of when I first started going to Rocky Horror. Everyone was just so friendly, welcoming, and accepting. I felt like I truly fit in somewhere for the first time and I can imagine Sam felt the same at "Choir Practice."

I wish Sam would have confronted the girl who slandered her in her book. That would have been fun to see.

If you have made it this far, tell me what you love most about Somebody, Somewhere.

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Think Pink: My thoughts on Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

Courtesy of IMDb

At first, I was hesitant to watch Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. The trailer wasn't grabbing my attention enough. However, a friend had posted about it being good, so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did! While I've always been a Grease (and Grease 2) fan, this show blows both movies out of the water. It's so progressive and it touches upon real issues, even while being set in the 1950s. It's like a cross between Glee, Degrassi, and season seven of Riverdale. And it's a musical too. A 10-episode musical, to be exact! Each episode has a few song and dance numbers. Most of them are fast-paced, but there are a few ballads too. 

Courtesy of Variety

I hadn't seen any of the actresses on this show before, but after looking on IMDb, some of them had small roles in other shows I've seen. The one familiar face is Jackie Hoffman, who is also currently on Only Murders in the Building. She plays Principal McGee, who is actually an assistant principal during this time period, which is a prequel to Grease. She is perfect for the role and has some great moments. I actually saw her perform a long time ago at Second City Northwest, along with Nia Vardalos of Greek Wedding fame.

Along with being progressive, I love that there's a lot of diversity and that an LGBTQ+ storyline is included.

Take a look at the trailer and then give this show a try! It's so worthwhile. After you're done, do not go any further, as there will be SPOILERS for everyone who has seen all ten episodes.

SPOILERS below.

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Overall, I really enjoyed this series. There are a few things that I wish had been done differently, but I will write about that soon enough.

Thoughts on the four main characters:

Jane: She sometimes came off as a goody-two-shoes, but I like how empowered she became when she connected with the three other girls and formed the Pink Ladies. I also appreciated some of her badass moves in response to how Buddy's group was treating her. She was annoying with the love triangle and I wish she had just picked someone. 

Fun side note: I learned that the actress who plays her, Marisa Davila, was on an episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend a while back. Here's a song where she is featured.

Cynthia: I liked Cynthia overall. She kind of reminded me of Adam from Degrassi, but mostly in appearance. I love that she got an LGBTQ+ storyline on the show and I wish she had handled it better instead of having to make a grand gesture later on. Like maybe she could have actually talked to Lydia about how she was feeling earlier on. However, I know in that time period, it was scary to confront such feelings.

Olivia: While she has the best singing voice in the group, her tetchiness got to be too much. She was too standoffish with her friends. I also didn't like the whole plot involving her relationship with Mr. Daniels. She was already screwed over by him and she kept going back to him anyway. I'm glad her friends got her to come to her senses at the end. While I felt bad for her about things not working on with Gil, she had her chance and blew it to be with Mr. Daniels instead. 

Nancy: She is my favorite from this group as she is fun and quirky and tells it like it is. I felt like she could have been utilized better. Her storylines were basically about her fashion skills or her back-and-forth interest in Potato. I feel like she could be working with more challenges than she currently is. Having said that, I loved her reaction to Cynthia's confession. And I love how she cares about keeping the Pink Ladies together.

Thoughts on some of the other characters:

Hazel: I like her a lot. She's smart, talented, and has a good head on her shoulders. I'm glad she got invited to join the Pink Ladies. She'll be a great addition to the group.

Buddy: I'm glad he grew a spine even though it took him a while. He should have spoken up about the election results as soon as he found out. I'm glad he at least confessed to starting the fight with Richie. I like his friendship with Hazel, even though it sounds like he has feelings for her now, which could complicate things for her and Wally. 

Susan: I really had hopes that she would change after the episode where she sang about how she didn't really like the life she has. (It reminded me of Alyssa's song in The Prom.) She was even trying to be nice to the Pink Ladies and may have succeeded in that if her mom hadn't been so horribly awful. Then she just went back to being a mean girl again. 

Richie: I thought he was an enticing love interest for Jane until he let his jealousy and assumptions get in the way of that. I love how he showed his vulnerable side to his friends and I also hate that he got expelled after the fight. I heard that the actor left the show though. 

Lydia: At first she seemed intimidating, but then I liked how she helped Cynthia and I am glad she explained to Cynthia why she didn't trust her later on. It also explains why she was so guarded in the first place. 

Fun side note: I recently saw someone in my neighborhood who looks very similar to her, but I didn't pick up on that similarity until watching this show. Maybe it's because of the hairstyle. Niamh Wilson played a somewhat similar character in Degrassi but had a different look.

Assistant Principal McGee: At first, I didn't like how she was so hard on the Pink Ladies. Like she singled them out and gave them all this extra work for just being themselves. However, I liked that she picked up on the shenanigans going on at the school and that she eventually saw their side of things. I love when she caught them taking a part from the principal's car and acted like she had vision problems so that they would get away with it. I also love how she told off the principal in the last episode. And it was fun that she got her own song in one of the episodes.

I also loved young Frenchie and Rizzo. The girl who played Frenchie did her voice so well! And Rizzo was just full of attitude. Dot was fun for comic relief, but it was hard to take her seriously overall. She looked like a young Jan and also reminded me of Dolores from Grease 2. I think it's just the pigtails.

Onto the music. There were a lot of songs I really enjoyed, and some that just didn't do it for me. The imperfect rhyming got really annoying and some songs just didn't carry the feel from the time period. I liked the cover of "Grease is the Word" as well.

Favorite songs:

"Face to Face": Had a 90's girl band feel to it. 

"Please Please Please": I loved the tune, the vocal combo, and the artistry.

"Land Don't Look So Bad": I liked Hazel and Wally having a song together and it had a great sound.

"Girls Can't Drive": We get to see a different side of Susan. This is the one that reminded me of "Alyssa Greene".

"Merely Players": The LGBTQ+ aspect, obviously. But also, it was really well done.

"Take the Wheel": This one was just a lot of fun and I liked Jane's confidence.

Least favorite songs:

"In the Club": Unnecessary and boring.

"Girl Gang": It was trying to be like "The Telephone Hour" from Bye Bye Birdie, but it failed. Just really annoying.

"Carelessly": It felt pretty cheesy and I didn't like how they dragged out the word "care" in the chorus.

"Hit Me Again": Richie is challenging his friends to fist fight with him. 

"Pulling Strings": It has a Coldplay feel to it and it's mostly Buddy talking about why he's too much of a coward to speak up about what his father did.

"The Hand Jive": The mneumonic device for the hand moves is what seals the deal for this one being on my least favorites list.

Also, did the year fly by the same way it does in the movie? It felt like it was just Halloween and the fall ball, and then they're having this spring carnival? Did I miss something?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this show. I really hope there will be a second season!

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It's Showtime!: My thoughts on Beetlejuice

 

Courtesy of Beetlejuice's website

My family and I finally got a chance to see Beetlejuice when it was on tour in DC. We went on the last day of the tour, but it was a very short run here. In any case, I'm really glad we got to see it, as it was a great performance!

If you have seen the movie, you might as well forget almost everything that happened because the musical only keeps a little bit of it. If you haven't seen the movie....have you been living under a rock?!? 

Anyway, the titular character is only in the movie for a short amount of time, compared to how much he is in the musical. I actually liked that he had more stage time though. Justin Collette did an amazing job making Betelgeuse feel even larger than life. I just hope he's drinking a lot of tea between shows because that voice could do a number on anyone's throat.  Isabella Esler was also fantastic as Lydia, and this was her professional debut. I have a feeling she will go far in musical theater. She had such a powerhouse voice and a great stage presence. I also really liked the supporting characters, especially Adam and Barbara. Delia was a lot of fun too. She added a Moira Rose quality to the way she talked. As Adam, Will Burton reminded me of an actor from SNL. (Most likely Mikey Day.) And I just loved the facial expressions Britney Coleman used to enhance Barbara's personality. 

The story completely deviates from the movie aside from a few plot points and the inclusion of the "Day-O" scene. Betelgeuse starts off by saying that was going to happen. He also breaks the fourth wall a lot and makes the story feel kind of meta. While he's not supposed to be likeable, he really is for the most part and he even shows some vulnerability. There are a lot of funny lines and plenty of innuendoes. Apparently, the show was a lot raunchier in previews, so I have to wonder how much raunchier it could get!

The music is great. I went in barely knowing any of it, but I kind of wish I had listened to the Original Broadway Cast recording because I had trouble hearing some lines and would have benefitted from knowing what they were going to say. At least I can't complain about them changing anything... I also had trouble hearing some of the dialogue and some jokes got lost on me. The majority of the songs are high energy and upbeat though. Some of Lydia's songs got me teary-eyed. She put a lot of emotion into them. 

The set is basically a character of its own. If this show had been made 10-15 years ago, they wouldn't have the current technology at their disposal. I love how digital backgrounds combined with furniture and props that carried the feel of the movie. The digital parts included animation, as well. It was so much fun to look at...a feast for the eyes! The bright lights were a bit much and I had to shade my eyes from them every so often. 

Along with the set, the costumes were amazing throughout. Most took after the ones in the movie, as well. I loved that they had the shrunken head guy. :) 

Overall, the story handled topics that the movie didn't touch, such as grief. (Given that it's all about death, you'd think that would have happened in the movie.) A lot of the musical felt more positive and upbeat than the movie though. It's also very much woke, which is fine for me. There's some political humor that I definitely appreciated. 

If you haven't seen Beetlejuice on stage yet, check out this trailer. Then go no further. If you have seen it, please proceed past the trailer, as I have some questions...

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Questions for anyone who has seen it on stage already:

1. How was everyone living able to see Adam and Barbara toward the end?

2. After Lydia killed Betelgeuse (after marrying him), how was everyone still able to see him once he was dead again?

3. When Lydia first saw Beetlejuice, how did she describe him? We all missed what she said.

That's it, really. :) 

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A Million Little Things: A Look Back (with SPOILERS)

After I fell in love with A Million Little Things, I wrote about season one. A LOT has happened since then. It all culminated into a heartbreaking and incredibly life-affirming series finale. Overall, I liked A Million Little Things more than This is Us. I had more of an emotional connection to it. I don't think there was an episode where I didn't cry. (Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but still...)

I hate that things happened the way they did for Gary. He just became a father and things were looking up for him, but then his cancer came back even worse than ever and that was the end of the road. When the doctor said it wasn't curable, I knew it could eventually come to that, but I was hoping it wouldn't. Gary was my favorite character on this show and it was so hard to watch this happen to him. And somehow he kept his sense of humor throughout and also did whatever he could to make life easier for Maggie and Javi. 

In spite of all this, the series finale was the icing on the cake. I cried through most of it, but it was a cathartic experience and some of the tears were happy ones too. The cover of "For Good" from Wicked really set off the waterworks even though I cried a bunch of times before that. And then Colin's little whimper at the end....  

The ending of this finale was even better than the ending of the Parenthood series finale (which I also cried through). I love how they moved 15 years forward and we got to see glimpses of everyone's lives. Sophie and Tyrell were still together and expecting a baby! Theo was an adult! Katherine and Greta had a daughter! Maggie was doing okay and moving on the way Gary would have wanted her to. Javi was a teenager. Rome had a gray beard. (Some of the adults aged and others didn't. Like Katherine had white hair, but Regina, Greta, and Eddie still looked the same. Danny also barely aged.)

Since it's not only the end of the road for Gary, but also for the series, I wanted to take a look back at some of the stuff that happened over the past few years. I can't remember everything because it's been a while, but I'm sharing what I do remember. If you remember something I missed, please share it in the comments. 

Best things that happened:

Maggie and Gary getting back together after a long breakup. 

Maggie having a baby!

Delilah moving to France. (Even though it sucked that Eddie didn't get to see Charlie as much, I was glad to not see Delilah all that often.) 

Sophie and Tyrell getting together.

Maggie getting her own podcast. 

Regina starting a food truck. 

Rome becoming a teacher and making a huge difference at the school.

LGBTQ+:

KATHERINE AND GRETA!!!!!!!!!! (I love everything about them being together, including the surprise proposal and amazing wedding.)

Rome helping Maddox in the situation with his father. (I'm so glad his father is accepting of Maddox being a boy now.)

Danny coming out. (I love the support he received.)

Worst things that happened:

The creepy teacher preying upon Sophie, and what Gary did to take care of things.

Eddie's accident and addiction relapse.

Regina getting injured in the riot and losing bits of her memory (even though that never went anywhere after the end of that season).

Regina losing her business to the pandemic.

Rome's mom suddenly dying from a stroke.

Maggie and Gary dating anyone other than each other.

The adoption falling through for Regina and Rome. 

Rome's depression coming back (but Regina thought he was cheating on her).

Katherine's medical emergency (even though it was a one-off). 

Maggie being stalked by someone from her past.

And the most obvious....Gary's cancer coming back and then getting worse later on.

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I also want to talk a little about the characters. I can't decide who I like the most anymore. Everyone is so great. I wasn't a Delilah fan, but she got better after she came back from France and I appreciated seeing how she helped and supported her friends. 

Eddie was also frustrating for a while but in the past two seasons, he's been so wonderful and I've really liked him a lot. He's grown up a lot and it's made him even more attractive. 

I used to be more ambivalent about Rome, but he was great and I love watching him and Regina together. 

I also really liked the addition of Greta in the past few seasons. She and Katherine are so great together and I'm so happy for them both. Showing their names in all caps earlier in this post is a thing my friend and I would do every week after watching the latest episode, provided they were both on. 

Theo used to be somewhat annoying and sounded like a little kid even when he was supposed to be twelve, but he grew up more this past season and has shared a lot of thoughts that were wise beyond his years. 

The ones I listed as my favorites in the season one post are still at the top of my list,  but Gary should be at the top of that list. I had him in the middle before. :)

Overall, an amazing series that I'm really going to miss! Please join me in the comments to share your thoughts on A Million Little Things.

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My latest guilty pleasure: Why Women Kill

A friend had recommended Why Women Kill, and since we have the same taste in TV shows, I was intrigued. I'm so glad she told me about this show because it was really good! I wish there had been more than two seasons though. The series was created by Marc Cherry, who also did Desperate Housewives. It definitely has a similar feel to that show, but it's a bit campier given the timelines. 

There are two separate stories between the two seasons. Season one and season two are not connected at all, except by one actor from season one who narrates season two. (He even says "yes..." all the time like Mary Alice did on DH.) However, both are fabulous and so much fun to watch!

Season one is about one house that has three different couples living there over three different time periods. The first is Beth Ann and Rob, in the early sixties. Beth Ann is a housewife who finds out that Rob has been cheating on her and decides to take matters into her own hands, in a very satisfying way. Simone and Karl are living in the house in the early to mid-eighties. The fashion at the time reminds me of Dynasty or some cheesy soap opera. Simone finds out a little secret about Karl and tries not to let it ruin their marriage before her daughter's wedding. However, she has an interesting secret of her own. Finally, Taylor and Eli are living in the house in 2019. They have an open marriage and bring a very attractive woman into their home. Things only spiral from there... There is a star-studded cast for season one, which features Ginnifer Goodwin, Sam Jaeger, Jack Davenport, Lucy Liu, Reid Scott, and Alexandra Daddario (whose brother is in season two), just to name a few. The mayor from Ginny and Georgia even makes a few appearances (but as a completely different character). I also loved the opening bits of each episode. They were done in these fun and creative ways. One of the opening bits reminded me of Little Shop of Horrors.

Season two all takes place in 1949. Alma Fillcot is also a housewife and doesn't keep up with her appearance. She desperately wants to join an elite gardening club, run by the very wealthy and snobby Rita Castillo. (If Natalie from Girls Just Want to Have Fun was an adult, that would be Rita.) Rita belittles Alma, even when she earns the respect of the other women in the club. In the meantime, there are some twisted things going on in Alma's home and Rita becomes connected to her in a very strange way that sets off a huge rivalry. Things just get out of control after that, but I won't say anything more. As far as the cast goes, I've only seen Allison Tolman once, on The Mindy Project, but thought she was intriguing. She's a great actress, especially in her role as Alma! I vaguely recognized some of the other actors, but there was a fun side appearance from Rachel Bay Jones (Heidi in the Original Broadway Cast of Dear Evan Hansen). I also found out that Grace was played by the actress who was CJ on Fuller House (DJ's rival for Steve's affections). While everyone else was mostly new to me, it was a great cast.

If you haven't seen this show yet, it's available on Paramount Plus and so worth binge watching! 

Spoilers are below the trailers for anyone who has already seen it.

Trailer for season one:

Trailer for season two:

Spoilers: 

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It feels like forever since I saw season one, even though it was about a month or so. I will try to remember what I can to talk about it here.

Favorite characters from season one:

1. Beth Ann: She was by far the best from this season. I love how devious she was and how she went about living this double life in order to get Rob to admit he cheated on her.

2. Karl: I felt bad for him most of the time since he was living in an era where it was taboo to be gay and couldn't openly be out about it. And then when it was discovered, everyone shamed him for it. He was a genuinely good guy and it was sad what he was going through. I'm glad Simone came around and looked after him as a friend instead of as a wife. 

3. Taylor: She was all-around cool and had her act together. 

4. Tommy: I feel like a cougar just for liking him, even though the actor who plays him is obviously older than 18. He was really sweet to Simone.

5. April: She seems like she'd be a fun friend to have, and if you were Beth Ann, you'd almost have to forgive her for sleeping with your husband and getting pregnant as a result. 

Least favorite characters from season one:

1. Eli: He was just annoying and self-pitying. I think Taylor could do better in the husband department. I am glad he improved a bit by the end, but I just wasn't impressed by him at all.

2. Rob: Um, obviously!!! It was bad enough that he cheated, but to blame Beth Ann for the death of their child, which happened as a result of him bringing a mistress into his house. No wonder she came up with the plan she did.

3. Ralph (the abusive husband): No one likes an abusive husband in general. I love how Beth Ann used the situation to get him to kill Rob so that he'd be put away. I just want to know what happened with Mary after that. 

4. Naomi (Tommy's mom): She could have talked to Simone about what was happening with Tommy, but instead she decided to make everyone's life hellish and she used Karl's illness in the process.

5. Sheila: I don't think she was that supportive of a friend to Beth Ann. I know she didn't like what was going on, but given that Rob was the one who cheated, she should have been in cahoots with Beth Ann instead of pushing back all the time.

I liked how they transferred the house between people so you could see what everyone was up to after a certain amount of time. I got teary-eyed when Simone talked about the AIDS foundation she started. And finding out that Tommy became an artist. I was really happy for Beth that she made a new life for herself and stayed close with April and her daughter. It was also nice to see that Eli survived the stabbing and it seemed like he got his life together. 

I also love how everything came together at the end of season one, where it looked like they were all in the house at the same time during the action. That was really clever. The transitions between scenes were also great. Like someone would get into a car in one scene and then you'd see someone else driving in the next scene.

Season two:

It's really hard to pick favorite and least favorite characters since so many had multiple layers. Dee and Vern were the constants for the story. They were reliable narrators but stuck in some messy situations. I liked them together a lot. 

Alma had the Zack Morris effect going for her. She's obviously the protagonist, but when she transforms into one of the mean women, I still wanted her to win somehow. She had such an interesting story arc. I wanted to see if she could really get away with everything she did. I also wouldn't mind having her get revenge on certain people who are long overdue for their karma. She looks like a friend of mine (she has a similar face) whom I wish she would help the most in delivering karma to someone who has horribly wronged this friend. 

While Rita was a beyotch most of the time, I also wanted to see her put one over on Catherine. I actually felt bad for her when her life fell apart and she looked so vulnerable after that. So I actually enjoyed some of her scheming tactics in regard to getting Catherine off her back. As I was writing about Rita, this came up in my Facebook feed:

Scooter seemed like a caricature in some ways. Like he was attractive but he could be really stupid sometimes. I found him to be annoying for the most part.

I also didn't like Catherine all that much. I wanted to like her sometimes, but she was just embarrassing. How did she not suspect Rita of the setup with Scooter? She knew Rita was cheating on her dad and Scooter's appearances seemed pretty coincidental. Maybe she just didn't want to see the connection? 

Bertie is a mixed bag. He killed all those people but then was appalled when Alma wanted to do the same. I know he had different reasons, but he still killed people anyway. Maybe they could have gotten help for their suffering instead somehow. I didn't see Maisie asking him to kill her in the first episode. Also, what did he really tell Vern. It sounds like he pinned everything on Alma before he killed himself. 

I really liked Dee a lot. I wish she had been able to get a new job though. It seems like she relied on Vern for everything as soon as she lost her job. She seemed like someone who could stand on her own, so I was surprised by that. It was also dumb for her to return Mrs. Yost's items without putting gloves on or something to keep her fingerprints off them. Especially after the nephew told her the items were missing. She should have hidden them or dumped them somewhere instead. 

As for Vern, I was kind of hoping he'd let everything go after Isabel's "confession". I know he was trying to stay on the right side of the law, but it also would have been interesting to let Alma get caught in the act instead of confronting her first. 

There were a couple of relationships that seemed interesting for 1949. The friend who introduced me to the show pointed out that no one seemed bothered by the interracial relationship between Vern and Dee. While I'm glad no one made trouble for them, it was surprising for that time period for people to turn a blind eye. I also wasn't expecting the lesbian affair between Grace and Joan. I kind of wish Joan had just confessed to it, but it was seen as taboo in that time period. Nowadays, no one would bat an eyelash. 

Overall, season two was more farcical in nature, but I enjoyed every moment of it! I was hoping for more of a twist to the story, but I was surprised by a lot of what had happened.

What are your thoughts on Why Women Kill?

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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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