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14 Jan

The Expanse: A TV Fan’s Post-Finale Guide to the Books

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This article contains The Expanse spoilers. Many fans of The Expanse on Prime Video who haven’t already read the James S. A. Corey novels upon which the series is based probably have at least thought about checking out the books at some point. But the floodgates likely opened after the series finale aired for those looking to answer the questions left unresolved by the show’s untimely cancelation with books seven through nine still unadapted. For those still on the fence, we’ll attempt to outline the plot of the remaining story without spoiling the big moments that should be experienced firsthand.…

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14 Jan

Netflix’s Brazen Is Barely an Episode of Castle with None of the Charm

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It’s unclear why Netflix chose to grab and drop Brazen in its January line-up, but we can probably assume that any murder-mystery movie that gets wrapped up in a neat bow around the 90 minute mark will do just fine for any streaming service’s content-hungry subscribers right now as long as it looks vaguely entertaining. I’m one of them, and absolutely part of the problem, so even if I hadn’t stuck Brazen on purely to write this review, I would have definitely chosen to watch it of my own free will. But sweet baby Jesus and the orphans do I…

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14 Jan

How Sanford and Son Cleaned Up Redd Foxx’s Act to Create a TV Icon

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Sanford and Son, the first mainstream, primetime sitcom in television history with an almost-all Black cast, debuted on NBC on Jan. 14, 1972. Created by Norman Lear, and starring legendary “blue” comedian Redd Foxx as an African American bigot, it was seen as a direct answer to CBS’ All in the Family. But the Bunker family series was a social satire which took its laughs seriously. The Sanfords presented pure comedy, any lessons it taught were intentionally coincidental. The most controversial part of the show, when it first aired, was its lead actor. Foxx was already an underground comedy legend…

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14 Jan

Yellowstone: Other Shows to Watch Next

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You may have heard it by now but Yellowstone is a big deal. We’re not talking about the American national park (though that is also a big deal) but rather the Paramount Network series. This Kevin Costner-starring modern Western was a surprise hit from the beginning but reached new ratings heights in its most recent fourth season.  Yellowstone is so successful that the series, created by ascendant writer/director Taylor Sheridan, is set to be spun off several times. The first spinoff is prequel 1883, which is streaming on Paramount+. The next will be another modern day tale called 6666. Paramount…

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14 Jan

Link Tank: Why Andrew Garfield was the MVP of 2021

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Did any performer have a better year than Andrew Garfield in 2021? “Exploring grief on a public platform can be cathartic, and Andrew Garfield has been sharing his as he’s promoted tick, tick…BOOM! Now, the Screen Actors Guild has nominated him for his work in bringing Jonathan Larson to life in the Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed musical, fresh from his Golden Globes win for the role. But his response to his nomination shows a profound understanding of everything that Jonathan Larson stood for, as well as the exploration of one’s own grief through art.” Read more at The Mary Sue There have…

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14 Jan

The Expanse Series Finale Easter Eggs: The Sci-Fi Heroes Who Helped

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This The Expanse article contains spoilers. As the coalition forces prepare to storm the ring station in The Expanse series finale, the Rocinante crew is running through its systems check, and voices are heard in the background signaling their readiness. “Thrace ready!” we hear, and our ears perk up. How unusual to share the name of one of the most badass space dogfighters ever, Kara “Starbuck” Thrace of Battlestar Galactica. When that’s followed by “Ripley ready!” all doubt is removed. Naming yet another famous spacefarer, Ellen Ripley of Alien, can’t be a coincidence. Fortunately, fans of Easter eggs like this…

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14 Jan

The Expanse Finale Ending Explained

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This The Expanse article contains MAJOR spoilers for the series finale. It does not contain any book spoilers past Babylon’s Ashes. The Expanse just wrapped up its six-season run, which spanned two networks (or technically one cable channel and one streaming platform) and covered the first six books of the nine-novel source material. While The Expanse left many narrative threads up in the air—most obviously, the mystery of Laconia and its strange dogs, as well as the larger Protomolecule vs. Ring Entities plot—the final, six-episode season did a fantastic job of wrapping up the emotional and political plot beats that…

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14 Jan

The Expanse Season 6 Episode 6 Review: Babylon’s Ashes

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This review of The Expanse contains spoilers. The Expanse Season 6 Episode 6 Is it really over? Watching the series finale of The Expanse was an exercise in denial with longtime fans trying to soak in every last moment, pretending the show would continue the way much of the narrative seemed to imply. Now, being able to see season 6 as a whole, it’s clear that the writers made the only choice they could by acknowledging that the protomolecule is still out there while involving the alien forces directly in the defeat of Marco Inaros. It was a beautifully rendered,…

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14 Jan

Will HBO Max’s Degrassi Be In Continuity?

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Whatever it takes, Degrassi always makes it through. It’s been announced that a new version of the beloved teen drama is headed to streamer HBO Max in 2023. The series has been off the air since 2017, after four seasons of Degrassi: Next Class on Netflix, but paraphrasing a Degrassi classic song, “everybody wants Degrassi and they’ll never give up.”Details about the new series are scant at the moment, though we do know the show is being helmed by Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen, writers who’ve worked on such shows as The Bold Type, Riverdale, and A Million Little Things,…

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13 Jan

The Best Free Streaming Channels on Plex

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This article is presented by: Plex is a globally available one-stop-shop streaming service offering 50,000+ free titles and 200+ free-to-stream live TV channels, from the biggest names in entertainment, including Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, Lionsgate, Legendary, AMC, A+E, Crackle, and Reuters. Plex is the only streaming service that lets users manage their personal media alongside a continuously growing library of free third-party entertainment spanning all genres, interests, and mediums including podcasts, music, and more. With a highly customizable interface and smart recommendations based on the content you enjoy, Plex brings its users the best free…

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13 Jan

Is the Oscars Campaign for Spider-Man: No Way Home for Real?

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This article contains Spider-Man: No Way Home spoilers. “A young man’s heroic actions and resultant celebrity status bring unwanted consequences for the lives of the people he loves the most. But his efforts to change that only result in a dangerous, unstable situation that may threaten them all. With the help of two strangers with whom he shares more than he cares to admit, he realizes that only a supreme personal sacrifice may alter the course of events.” Sounds like a hell of a story, huh? Perhaps a psychological thriller, a wartime melodrama, or even a tragic medical drama. Something…

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13 Jan

Valorant: Best Agents for the Episode 4 Meta, Ranked

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Valorant‘s recent Episode 4 update not only introduces a new agent (Neon) but gives anyone who may have stepped away from this game since its 2020 debut the perfect excuse to dive back into what has proven to be one of the most compelling competitive multiplayer experiences on PC. Valorant’s tactical shooter gameplay will remind many of Counter-Strike, but the game’s Agent system really sets it apart from Valve’s multiplayer shooter masterpiece. While it will probably take you quite a while to really learn the ropes in Valorant, the good news is that it’s certainly possible to learn to excel…

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13 Jan

Station Eleven Ending Explained: The Circle Never Breaks

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This article contains spoilers for Station Eleven. “I’ve been adrift in the strangest galaxy for a long time. But I’m safe now. I found it again. My home.” – Dr. Eleven It’s not an original observation that many, if not most, good stories are about stories themselves. After all, they say “write about what you know” and what does a storyteller know if not the power of story? Even with that in mind, however, HBO Max’s Station Eleven is really about stories. Station Eleven, which just premiered its brilliant finale on Jan. 13, began on Dec. 16 with the end…

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13 Jan

Batgirl Set Photos Finally Reveal Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon

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Batgirl has just started production in the streets of Glasgow this week, finally bringing the DCEU back to Gotham City and expanding Batman’s big-screen family of characters. Set photos have already teased other characters that might appear in the movie, but we’ve yet to see Leslie Grace (In the Heights) in her Batsuit. Fortunately, eagle-eyed photographers have already snapped the next best thing: our first look at Grace’s transformation into Barbara Gordon, complete with the character’s signature red hair from the comics: Shades of red 🦇#Batgirl [📸Tony Nicoletti/Reach PLC] pic.twitter.com/7O8k8gxLrt— Batgirl Film News 🦇 (@BatgirlFilm) January 13, 2022 Other set…

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13 Jan

The Peacemaker Opening Credits Are a Masterpiece

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Peacemaker, the HBO Max series spun off from James Gunn’s DC film The Suicide Squad, asks one very important question right from the top. “Do ya really wanna, do ya really wanna taste it?” Well…do ya?!?!? Following a funny cold open that picks up right after the events of The Suicide Squad and finds John Cena’s titular antihero convalescing in and then absconding from a hospital, Peacemaker launches into one of the most unabashedly fun opening credits sequences on television in years. The credits take place in what appears to be an abandoned ‘90s mall photo studio – a sparse…

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13 Jan

Legends of Tomorrow Just Pulled off Its Own Invasion of the Body Snatchers

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This Legends of Tomorrow article contains spoilers. Legends of Tomorrow Season 7 Episode 8 “Paranoid Android,” Legends of Tomorrow’s return from the midseason break, plays like two episodes that are pretty deftly woven together. The first episode is the one the cast and crew put their hearts into: it’s a parody of ‘80s action movies that is a blast to watch, and sure seemed like a riot to act in. The second episode is where their heads were: a really effective horror story. Unfortunately (I think), the payoff isn’t quite as good as the build up. When we last saw…

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13 Jan

Link Tank: Spider-Man: No Way Home Has Taken Over Internet Memes

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Spider-Man: No Way Home has already conquered the box office and the hearts of fans across the globe, but now it’s time for it to take over memes, starting with a tentacle-less Doc Ock. “Doc Ock is one of the more menacing villains in Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery. Not only is he someone that will willingly threaten the life of Aunt May to get to Peter Parker, but he was also first a friend. A mentor turned mind-controlled man with robotic arms, Otto Octavius became the second mad scientist to destroy Peter Parker’s life in the Sam Raimi movies. Played by Alfred…

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13 Jan

Peacemaker Is Another TV Bullseye for DC

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This Peacemaker review contains spoilers. Peacemaker Episodes 1,2, and 3 Peacemaker, the HBO Max spinoff of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, reminds viewers of it cinematic origins right from the start.  Before even one new minute of the new TV series has aired, Peacemaker takes some time out for a “previously on” segment, bringing the show up to date with the events of the 2021 movie featuring DC Comics characters. Ruthless government suit Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) introduces Christopher Smith a.k.a. Peacemaker, a peace-obsessed jingoistic beefcake whose father trained him to kill from the moment he was born. We then…

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13 Jan

Star Trek: Lower Decks Got Good When It Stopped Trying To Be Rick & Morty

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One would think the biggest shadow Star Trek: Lower Decks would have to escape is Star Trek itself. An animated comedy set in the Trek universe already has a lot of baggage, not least of which shifting the franchise from drama to adult comedy. It certainly does deal with that but even more so it has to escape the shadow of one of the biggest adult comedies in recent memory: Rick and Morty. Star Trek: Lower Decks owes a huge debt to Rick and Morty, not least of which because its creator, Mike McMahan, was a writer on that show…

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12 Jan

Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett Episode 3 Easter Eggs Explained

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This Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett article contains spoilers. Organized crime on Tatooine is a full-time job. Boba Fett fights off a bounty hunter and makes some new allies in “The Streets of Mos Espa,” all while also preparing for the next threat that’s incoming. Like the rest of the show, this episode of The Book of Boba Fett has many Original Trilogy references and familiar sights. Take a look at all the Star Wars easter eggs and references we spotted in this episode… Danny Trejo as the Rancor Keeper Director Robert Rodriguez’s long-time collaborator (and second cousin) Danny Trejo,…

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