The characters who gather at this small branch, open only 5 hours a day, range from the young school children seeking shelter until someone picks them up to the seniors who mindlessly twiddle their thumbs in the assisted living nearby. Most often it is just one or two who walk directly to the shelf for what they’ve requested ahead of time. Others linger over the newspapers with today’s headlines splashed and smeared from being folded too warm. Others gravitate to the computers where they print and puzzle.
A small location such as this doesn’t feel the dire destruction of the city’s morale as the larger libraries see every day. The guardians of knowledge here revel in the quiet and calm atmosphere their younger selves were promised by the media’s depiction of the institution. Only to quickly see their ideals crushed by overflow from failing social programming and crumbling infrastructure. But here in this small branch off the beaten path, faith is restored by the small community utilizing the pristine shelves of shiny board books for giggling babies. The seniors come from the bridge club next door to peruse the unruffled new releases from their favourite mystery author with the 20th instalment of a detective who never ages.
The largest gathering is at the weekly Lego club, when trucks of tiny plastic bricks are unloaded for the privileged boys and girls to compete for best creation. The air buzzes with childish joy and quickly evaporates at closing time when the doors must close, the lights fade, and the collection sits waiting for another chance to be held.
On a good day, the books are collected to be sent somewhere else where the patrons are desperate and the staff are zombified by incident after incident. INDECENT EXPOSURE. ALCOHOL. VIOLENCE.
The shelters empty to the streets, the streets flood the libraries. The librarians add social work to their list of duties among reading to children and teaching your great aunt how to use a mouse.
With Internet cafes closed and the academic at home with an e-reader, it leaves tables empty for the next in line. A halfway point between tents and high-rise, the library is a merging of the many city streams. Nanny, Neighbour…Righteous know-it-alls may flood the hierarchy, but they can’t sit in line of contact with these library patrons; too loud, too bossy, too ragged, too slow, too…urban. Every so often, they drop in and rush out when confronted by the result of their unsympathetic vote in a recent election.
When greeted by the fresh air and quiet atmosphere, this spot feels like a vacation, a dream, a utopia. Yet, after hours in this place, it grows tired, too slow, and you miss the bustle and the mess from the bigger library with the demanding patrons and loud security alarms from emergency exits used far too liberally. It’s invigorating to participate in the reality of a city so diverse with merging social classes, cultures, ages and interests. The library is a cornucopia for sociological dynamics and community connections. The flutter is a comfort; the zooming is white noise to our ears.
Getting enough nutrients in the morning is tough. I don’t give myself enough time to make a fresh, well-balanced breakfast when I get up, and even if I do, I don’t feel like cooking. I started looking into overnight oats as an option but didn’t see quite what I was looking for that utilized what I had lying around.
Oats may not be high in protein, but they are a complex carb which curbs sugar spikes; they are also a good source of fibre which keeps you full for longer. And the internet’s obsession with Chia Seeds is well founded; chia is also a great source of fibre, keeping you full for longer, and they contain Omega-3, a healthy fat, which helps reduce inflammation. Flaxseed, that thing our moms rave about, well they’re right; much like Chia, it offers fibre and healthy fat. Some choose one or the other; I say screw it, let’s eat both!
I add protein powder to my overnight oats for an energy boost. If I know I’m in for a longer day and a later lunch, or perhaps had a poor night’s sleep, I’ll have a hard-boiled egg in the morning as well. This recipe contains no yogurt or milk alternatives, which cuts down the cost. However, I do typically use Whey protein, which is a dairy byproduct, and if you’re allergic to dairy, there are plenty of vegan proteins that offer similar products and benefits. If you’re looking to cut back on spending for this breakfast, you don’t need to use Cocoa Powder or Instant Coffee, either. I find that adding these two ingredients intensifies the chocolatey flavour and leaves no protein powder aftertaste, as so many of those products do.
I make this recipe in two portions because it’s the most I can fit in my NutriBullet cups; I’ve somehow misplaced the larger ones. If you’re meal prepping for the week, this recipe is easily doubled or tripled. How much water you use will change the consistency of your oats in the morning; feel free to adjust how much you’re adding: 1 cup will give a stiffer brownie-batter texture, and adding the other quarter cup will loosen it up to a more pudding-like consistency.
So far, I have only added nuts, seeds and chocolate chips to this recipe in the morning for a little something extra. I foresee adding dried or fresh fruit in my future but haven’t dared yet. Be bold and try what I haven’t! It’s another great way to get fibre into your diet.
Chocolate Protein Brownie Overnight Oats
An easy way to prep ahead your breakfast and start your day with a delicious and nutritious meal.
Sitting on the subway coming home from work, I listen to Virginia Wolfe explain her theories with such elegance I can’t help but be inspired to smith words.
The air is heavy with a light, stale breeze manufactured by an archaic ventilation system and the movement of the train speeding through the tunnel.
We come to Keele station and another rider joins the horde of gruelled workers — He’s an older East Asian man carrying much on his shoulders; literally and figuratively. He sags under the weight of his backpack, although when he sheds this weight to the floor of the car, the burden remains. His subtle yet sullen demeanour blends well into the atmosphere he has entered. Our train car is unusually quiet; these passengers and I seem to unite in our desire for pause; unwind; recharge.
The man sits across from me, and I don’t mean to pry into his life outside this space with my eyes, yet his presence is captivating to me as a new arrival to this glum cohort. As I ponder the wonders of Wolfe’s consideration of Women in Literature in the 18th century, I consider her observations in the modern context surrounding the more prominent, ostracized, marginalized groups in our culture.
What does this man carry with his head so burdened by gravity? Would I understand it if he told me?
He sits and breathes. Deep inhale in, deep exhale out, eyes shuttered lightly. Regaining active composure, he opens his sack to pull out a vial. A small bottle of yellow liquid. A tincture of ginger, turmeric and carrot, I assume, as it’s a common juice wellness shot to remedy the inkling of oncoming sickness. He does not drink the whole vial, like those I’ve seen before, only half; perhaps he plans to drink the rest tomorrow. His eyes never come my direction; I’m safe in my observation zone, and he is absorbed in his own reality.
I don’t get to see how the rest of his ride commences; I am called to exit for my transfer stop. I do think about him though, on my way north through the city on a bus packed with other commuting strangers, sweaty and swaying as the tires bounce on potholed streets.
What was his day like? His week? Where is he going? Why does he carry so much on his shoulders? I hope his tincture has the desired effect; I don’t think his exhausted form could sustain a beating from any common ailment. I wish him rest and peace.
Written and produced in partnership by Jonah Hill and Kenya Barris, You People is a romantic-comedy and social satire. Jewish finance broker and side hustle podcaster Ezra (Jonah Hill) is unlucky with love, always paired with nice Jewish girls, his mother, Shelley (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). African American Muslim costume designer Amira (Lauren London) is also unlucky with love, her father, Akbar (Eddie Murphy), interferes and undermines her decisions. They meet by accident; the rest is a wild ride with plenty of mental gymnastics surrounding race politics.
The first ten minutes are dedicated to establishing Ezra’s story, which tells us pretty much everything we need to know about his life, flaws, etc. My first and continuous critique is that Amira’s backstory and life do not get as much detail or time as Ezra’s.
About 20 minutes into the film, I haven’t laughed out loud yet. That’s not to say that the film isn’t funny, it’s quirky, and I smiled some, but it hasn’t yet made me cackle.
There’s a bit of a magic dating montage for Ezra and Amira; their chemistry is pretty strong, but it’s a shame that some of the most fun in rom-coms was rushed through. I don’t like the dating dragged out, but it is fun to see the couple interact in different settings and, especially, to see the couple introducing each other to their friends. And this is another grievance I have towards Amira’s storyline; she’s got no best girlfriend to discuss Ezra with – like, Ezra has Mo (Sam Jay), but Amira doesn’t get that throughline and open dialogue that he has.
We later see Amira’s friend group at the bachelorette party, which barely shows the friend dynamic. This is something I grow increasingly disappointed about throughout the movie.
After the “Six Months Later” break, Ezra introduces Amira to his family. Of course, this is humiliatingly cringe. Ezra’s father, Arnold (David Duchovny), is remarkably not self-aware, and Shelley is trying too hard to connect with Amira that she is outright being offensively obtuse about her race. On the other hand, Ezra’s sister, Liza (Molly Gordon), is perfect; no notes.
Admirable that Ezra tries to call out his mother for being so… cringe, but he doesn’t get his point across properly, and Shelley misses the point entirely because Ezra also drops the bomb that he wants to marry Amira. Cute. However, we don’t see Amira introduce her parents to Ezra; we see him at a diner attempting to ask their permission to propose. I feel like the omission of Amira in certain scenes tells of this film’s true intentions. As much as they give Amira conflict and an arch, it’s not nearly given the attention that Ezra and Akbar are.
Amira’s mother, Fatima (Nia Long), is lovely and compliments Eddie Murphy’s performance as Akbar quite well, but I find it odd that her part is so tiny. There isn’t that mother/daughter bond where she’s there for Amira when Akbar is a little too much. I think Nia Long does terrific with what she was given, but I don’t think she was nearly given enough.
Jonah Hill has mastered the art of cringe comedy. He constantly humiliates himself in You People, and I don’t think this style is for me.
Regardless of the horrendous confrontation between Ezra, Fatima, and Akbar in that diner, the couple still ends up engaged in a pathetic display of self-doubt from Ezra, coddled by Amira. It’s not the most dreamy proposal, nor would I call it a spontaneously romantic proposal in the living room. This scene was marinated in what would eventually push the two apart. In the end, a clever foreshadowing, if that was the intention.
Now that the couple is engaged, they buy a house together, and EZRA QUITS HIS JOB! Indeed the opposite of what most women want, but Amira is all for him following his passion of being a straight white man with a mike. And due to their families’ differences, the two decide to put their marriage on the back burner.
This is where things go off the rails. Like, there have been instances where Akbar has said things, and I’ve been sceptical, but then he fully outright claims to be buddies with Louis Farrakhan. I don’t really understand the purpose of making Eddie Murphy a vaguely Hotep, anti-vax, antisemitic sympathiser. AND SHELLY HAS HER ISSUES TOO! She clearly doesn’t grasp or understand how her words and actions are hurtful towards Amira and can be easily called micro-aggressions of racism. I don’t want to say that’s normal for white people and therefore okay because it’s definitely not okay! But, it’s not the actions of an extremist, conspiracy theory white supremacist. Where Akbar’s comments here and there point to an extremist direction, and he doesn’t really ever redact those statements or clarify his beliefs in that department. I don’t know. This is murky territory for me as a white woman, but from what I understand, this should be more controversial.
I mean, in the end, Akbar and Shelley come around and band together to put the pieces of their kids’ relationship back together. That’s definitely redeemable for a lot of what they put Ezra and Amira through in this whole process, but I’m not sure it solves everything? Maybe that’s the point! Like, Ezra and Mo have monologues in the film about how there will never be peace between Black and White people because no matter how much White people try to do right, there will always be a persisting resentment felt by Black people for how they were treated in the past. Maybe that’s part of it! That these things can never be solved… but I do wish we had a little clarification on like where they stand in terms of racial politics… I don’t know, though. Again, I am a white woman, so who am I, right?
To top it all off, Ezra’s podcast gets picked up by Complex, but we never see if Amira’s designs get picked up for a project after she’s rejected when two producers misinterpret her college credentials. Amira doesn’t get the wins that Ezra does outside their relationship, and Shelley’s apology to her isn’t good; it is super vague and oddly too broad? No one asked you to apologise for the human race; you just needed to grasp what you did wrong and work not to repeat those mistakes.
For a romantic comedy, the cutest Ezra and Amira were when they were in the bathroom together after their first hook up, and the funniest this movie got was when Amira and Shelley carpooled and Akbar and Ezra carpooled. That was simple, boomer comedy, and it was good.
I know! I know, I am incredibly late! But I’m A Cheerleader came out 23 years ago, but give me a break, I was only three. I wouldn’t have understood a word of this masterpiece, although I probably would have found the colour palette highly stimulating.
I already knew going into this film that I would love it because people I know with good taste in movies do. I also know Natasha Lyonne is a god-like icon; I love everything she does. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Michelle “Vote to make [the government] look more like [white women]” Williams has a five-minute cameo mid-Dawson’s Creek era.
I shouldn’t put words into Mrs Williams’ mouth – how rude of me. The real quote from her 2020 Golden Globes speech is, “Women – 18 to 118 – when it is time to vote, please do so in your own self-interest. It’s what men have been doing for years, which is why the world looks like them. But don’t forget we are the largest voting body in this country. Let’s make it look more like us.” It came from a good place but did come across TERF-y. Her words also [may have] encouraged a demographic of white women to vote for Donald Trump with their whole chest. It also comes across… not so great coming from a white woman in general…
ANYWAY, this review is supposed to be about But I’m A Cheerleader, so let me get back to that.
I wish Cathy Moriarty was in every film ever made. The two projects I know her from now are But I’m A Cheerleader and Casper! And, to be completely transparent, that’s just not enough for me.
Melanie Lynskey makes every project she’s in better. I’m so happy she’s found herself in a juicy lead role with Yellow Jackets. This woman has deserved a giant spotlight for decades. She is oh so, so funny in everything with an edge telling you she can do more. She deserves a career like Kathryn Hahn.
RuPaul delivered.
I enjoyed every aspect of this movie. Every element played into a heightened queer experience. It simplified a traumatic experience for the queer community into this superficial game of House that kids play in the schoolyard. It poked fun at gender roles while cleverly asking the audience to evaluate what it means to be straight, not queer. It made hetero society the joke.
Clea DuVall and Natasha Lyonne’s enemies to friends to lovers story was lovely to watch as it blossomed. Although, I felt the climax lacked an oomph. Something was missing from the graduation scene for me. There wasn’t enough conflict – there was no confrontation between Grahm [DuVall] and her dad. I would have enjoyed a bit of back and forth; some external self-confidence defying her paternal restraints. But I’m content with a happy ending nonetheless.
I will definitely be rewatching.
And you can rewatch with me because But I’m A Cheerleader is free with ads on YouTube.
Does every franchise need a prequel and a multiverse?
Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and The Hunger Games are getting a prequel series. We’re in the age of the Multiverse where large franchises are jumping on the opportunity to expand their IP’s use by recreating the same characters over and over again and then giving it “a greater purpose” (when it’s just a cash grab).
I get it. There are characters that I love and cherish that resonate with me and make me feel safe. There are studies on binge-watching and why we crave the same TV show or Movies: anxiety, depression, and stress – some say it’s an addiction. Binge-watching and re-watching old favourites act as a crutch for uncomfortable feelings. With binge-watching becoming a prevalent part of our media consumption, we’re now in the age of… Well, prequels, sequels, multiverses, and remakes.
These aren’t new concepts but are certainly more popular now than ever. And to top it all off, the world is a mess, a lingering pandemic, financial crisis, breakdown of democracy, backpedalling policies… It’s not looking great. I get it. I, too, would like a little serotonin in the form of my favourite characters back on my screen, please!
That said, it doesn’t mean every re-visitation is a gem.
Lightyear felt like a smash of sci-fi tropes – we could call it an ode to the genre or we could call it a boring amalgamation of franchises – lacking originality. I mean, Buzz Lightyear, as far as I’m aware, was meant to be a catch-all for sci-fi characters to represent the new making Andy look archaic. The original concept for Buzz Lightyear, in that context, was great but trying to make a new story out of a character crafted as a generic placeholder… They ended up with much of the same.
It was a tall order to create the amazing thing that Andy fell in love with. There were rules to follow about who Buzz is/was. That can be hard and constrictive when trying to create an original story, but without ingenuity, Lightyear came across as bland – a bunch of things we’d seen before.
The reveal that Buzz’s older self was the villain didn’t feel like the “OH MY GOD” moment it was meant to be. It felt like a cop-out. It made the OG villain in Toy Story feel… underserved. Honestly, I would have preferred if the villain was a robot leader of a robot master race. In this case, IMO the obvious assumption is more interesting to me. I mean, come on! Give us some lore, and expand your world!
I know it is ultimately a kid’s movie – it’s not supposed to be some complex storyline portraying something deeper. BUT that didn’t stop Red from creating something unique, magical, and insightful – from the same studio, released not long before Lightyear.
Honestly, after Turning Red, Lightyear is a bit of a letdown. If I were to pick between the two, which deserved a theatrical release, I’d say Turning Red in a heartbeat without a single regret.
I found Lightyear’s story lacking.
I didn’t cry when people said they cried. I didn’t feel attached to the characters.
I also saw story elements with potential for deeper storytelling that went ignored. There was an opportunity to comment on the way these space rangers commandeered a planet that didn’t want them there…*cough* colonizer plot *cough*
Maybe those vines don’t have faces, but they clearly have senses that you’re a threat. AND by the time Buzz is fighting his older self, the planet looks somewhat desolate? The jungle that Buzz and Alicia first stumbled into looks… vibrant and later it kind of disappeared? Or changed? That, to me, could have been a perfect opportunity to integrate a colonizer undertone to the society they’ve created and counter it by leaving… but no, in the end, Buzz agrees that their colonization is for the best! Really?
The movie is clearly about how sometimes mistakes can become opportunities; how it isn’t good to dwell on the past or try to rewrite history. Buzz learns he needs to move on and contribute to a better future…
BUT is this a better future for the planet? The society they’ve created has savagely sucked the planet dry of its resources and demonized the native wildlife for protecting itself. They aren’t aiming to live in peace with the planet… they’ve created a sci-fi version of a gated community… how is that good representation? How is that a better future?
I get what they were trying to do and why they did what they did, but I don’t like it. And after all that….
Lightyear feels… forgettable.
It wasn’t BAD, but it didn’t take my breath away either. Honestly, if I could go back in time, I would wait for it to come out on Disney+ and spend my money on a ticket to something else. People have been making a big deal about a lesbian kiss, but I don’t remember there even being one. I’m sure it was there! I’m just saying it wasn’t memorable.
What did I like?
I liked that Buzz’s partner, Alicia, was Black. I liked that her granddaughter, Izzy, became Buzz’s new partner. I appreciate the key creatives who pushed for diversity and LGBTQ+ representation and stuck it out even when the film became banned by other countries. I liked the callbacks to Toy Story. I liked the dynamic between Buzz, Izzy, Mo, and Darby. I even liked SOX, which is blatantly another marketable toy.
BUT these things don’t save the movie.
Also, keep in mind, that I am an absolute SIMP for Chris Evans… I may very well be subconsciously holding back in the hope for my someday Wattpad Y/N moment with him.
Be wary, Lightyear might not be all that it is cracked up to be and perhaps hold out until it hits a streamer before paying for a ticket in a recession and a lingering pandemic.
I read the book; I still have the original hardcover copy. I loved Sarah Dessen in my early teens. I identified with her heroines; they often had hardened pasts, a jaded edge, perfectionism, social awkwardness, and a sudden drive to become someone new; I found that relatable.
Along for the Ride follows an 18-year-old girl, Auden (Emma Pasarow), from her high-stress academic life to a laid-back beach town. First things first, does the movie stay true to the book? Yes, I guess, for the most part. Some things are omitted, most likely for time or to simplify the plot. However, these cuts may have oversimplified the plot; without additional characters and their side quests (haha, if you know, you know) the story feels a little… empty.
I think the film did an okay job with the parents’ story, although it felt, at points, the cast (Dermot Mulroney in particular) gave up mid-performance. Andie MacDowell plays the hardened, elitist feminist Victoria, a.k.a. Auden’s mother, and Mulroney plays the father, Robert. MacDowell so often plays the easy-going, fun-loving girl next door it was interesting to watch her do something else and, for the most part, I’ll say she succeeded. Mulroney felt more at home in his character – if only he were a little more committed to the script; Robert is a character who perfectly captures weaponized incompetence, a timely portrayal. Heidi, the pink-loving stepmom (Kate Bosworth), was portrayed well yet… absent? We got Heidi’s full story but somehow, she still felt two-dimensional.
I enjoyed Sarah Dessen’s Along for the Ride for its perspective on Auden’s parents’ failings and coming to understand how they did her wrong. I’m glad the movie didn’t cut this plotline, but at the same time, I’m not sure they did it justice. The movie also cut out Auden’s older brother who rounded out the parents’ story and spiced up Auden’s childhood.
Auden’s love interest Eli (Belmont Cameli) is a complex character…in the book. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed watching the love story between these two but… it feels like they took a hacksaw to his personality and story. I don’t think the movie acknowledges once that Jake and Eli are brothers – something that added a splash of conflict to the original story (something the movie searches for). Also, we spend so little time with Eli and never see him without Auden’s presence or perspective, movie Eli has no chance to flesh out his arch. Instead, we’re given heavy-handed exposition from other characters and his contrived trauma response in a parking lot.
The friend group is a bit of a mess: Maggie’s arch (Laura Kariuki) felt rushed and then dropped, Leah (Genevieve Hannelius) and Esther (Samia Finnerty) were never given much but given they had nothing else to focus on their chemistry as a friend group could have been stronger, and making Esther queer was a nice touch but without seeing her be queer, what was the point?
The boys felt like afterthoughts: the Bike Shop name was a running bit in the book and came way too late in the film and reveal is so much less gratifying, which is another reason Eli needed time in his own space. We needed to see his story develop seperate from Auden and for his supporting cast to matter.
If you’re wondering what my take on the main character is, well… Along for the Ride took a look at the superiority complex of the elitist woman. Auden, like her mother, looked down her nose at the pink, frilly displays of femininity in the name of opposing the patriarchy. Auden’s arch works to show that their supposed superiority is misogynist. She discovers that even pink has layers; Maggie is more than what she seems, and so is Heidi. However, Auden in the film lacks an elitist edge to make her arc all that justifiable. Emma Pasarow’s performance is passable, but it doesn’t help the film’s dire need for tension.
I still enjoyed the film. I loved the book as a tween. It was part of an impressionable time for me and holds a special place in my heart. I just think the movie could have been better. I wouldn’t call it a flop era but it’s certainly surprising coming from the To All the Boys I Loved Before alum Sofia Alvarez. Her interpretations of those books were so tight that it’s irregular that this story feels loose or empty. That being said, Along for the Ride is her directorial debut, and in that case, Alvarez has done an okay job, and I hope she’s given opportunities to improve.
I really enjoyed the first season of this Amazon Prime show, so the second season had a lot to prove. Greg Daniels has created countless incredible projects, so it’s not a surprise that this new venture is doing well. Upload’s first season has an 88% Critics Rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 87% Audience score. Although the second season has significantly fewer reviews, the approval rating is going in the same direction.
I think I’m in the same boat with these reviewers.
The second season picks up right where the first season left us, but then we get a three-week time jump. I have conflicted feelings about this. On one hand, I see how this takes us back to the main storyline quicker. On the other hand, I’m intrigued to know more about this technology-less encampment and wish we had spent more time there dissecting its politics. Maybe in the third season, there will be more room to explore this part of the show’s sight for the future – I’m hoping so. I think the idea of a religious cult with a leader that has anarchist ideologies towards technology leaves a lot to be explored and endless means for writers to make current cultural criticisms.
I appreciate that Aleesha has been given a little more screen time and crusts of a storyline compared to the crumbs of last season. However, I still think that this show is greatly underusing Zainab Johnson. She’s a comedic and dramatic wizard who steals every scene she’s in. I want more!
They’ve somehow made Ingrid [Allegra Edwards] more annoying than she was last season. I know that’s the point of her character; she’s out of touch with reality, and her wealth gives her the power to control her ex-boyfriend’s life. Upload does a great job of making the viewer hate the rich. And I know this is a half-hour show; I know what that means in terms of limited space for nuance. However, I still feel that Ingrid, and the majority of the other representations of the ultra-rich, are portrayed as cartoonishly evil and unhinged. I think this representation does the message of the show a disservice. Even the ultra-rich have their moments of humanity – that’s what keeps them on top – kindness at the right moment. I think this show could use a smidgen of more humanity coming from its villains and performances that actually garner sympathy. Adding that kind of nuance will hit the message a homerun.
Nora’s [Andy Allo] story takes an interesting turn when she hooks up with Matteo [Paulo Costanzo]. I liked that Nora was taking on more rebellion, but I was sad when she was sucked back into the corporate system. It felt like Nora’s character evolved and then regressed. Matteo’s arc felt too sharp, as well. Their story together is why I wish we had more time in the three-week time jump.
Nathan [Robbie Amell] maintains being simultaneous: smart and a dumbass. I admire the loyalty to the character’s roots, but I wish he had more moments of “Eureka!”. He is supposed to be a brilliant coder, but the most we see him code is with the glitches and tools Nora gave him.
All criticisms aside, I enjoy this show: I like its concept and direction, I think the performers are great, the writers are doing a great job. I think this season’s cliffhangers are setting up a promising season three.
Side note: I think it is bonkers how many Amazon Prime Originals are about inhumane crimes committed by the ultra-rich when considering who owns the entire company.
You know what, Bezos, keep your enemies close, right?
Season one of this ICONIC HBO show introduced the powerful characters and plotlines in this colourful, psychedelic world. We get character-specific episodes with background, drama, and beautiful cinematography.
Season two of this show starts with a bang and fizzles out with sparks here and there. It does not come close to the storytelling of the first season. There are various characters whose storylines are either left completely unresolved or sloppily taped together. Character decisions contradict the development in Season one. Sam Levinson knows how to frame a beautiful shot and delivers strong character moments, but he does not excel at overall story. It has become clear to me and many of the show’s fans that Sam is in over his head and needs help in the writer’s room.
In Season One, the character of Chris McKay [Algee Smith] had dedicated episode time to his backstory and his future. In Season Two, his character is essentially abandoned by episode two. We never hear from him again. Or his brothers, which is a serious missed opportunity for dropping story hints of a Euphoria gen ii focusing on them and Gia Bennett (the MC’s sister). Sam missed the opportunity to create a streamline into an iconic anthological series like UK Skins. McKay’s disappearance is also exceedingly disappointing because he is one of the mere sprinkles of POC characters on this show.
Kat Hernandez [Barbie Ferreira] is the only plus-size character on the show and her background/arc of Season One was a massive fan favourite. Yet, in Season Two, she’s barely a side character. We get one powerful scene where she’s imagining all the voices of internet influencers in her head creating this messy representation of the body positivity movement corrupted by skinnies. Then nothing. She breaks up with her incredible boyfriend who loves to eat puss-puss and dance. Then nothing. She dances on cam in her little black mask [iconic] for two seconds. Then nothing. She’s there when shit goes down, but she doesn’t do anything. There are rumours that Kat’s plotline took a darker route this season which Barbie disagreed with, so Sam cut down her role significantly. WOW. Disappointing.
Jules [Hunter Schafer] and Rue [Zendaya] are broken apart by a man… but not really, ultimately it’s Rue’s addiction that pushed Jules away. In my opinion, Elliot [Dominic Fike] was just…there. I think that Sam Levinson did an okay job presenting Rue’s addiction as it worsened. However, following episode five, one of the best episodes to date, it gravitates towards a hopeful outlook on addiction rather than a truthful one. After watching her father’s funeral dramatized on a stage only a week sober, you’re telling me she didn’t even try to relapse? If the point of Rue staying sober for the rest of the school year was to say that Lexi’s play gave Rue this whole new perspective, I need to SEE it. There are also numerous plotlines left wide open, i.e., her debts and memories lost. What happened in the hours between that bath with the massive morphine dose and waking up in the bed?
Like, oh my God. Okay, we get it. Cassie [Sydney Sweeney] fucked Nate [Jacob Elordi] because she’s depressed, insecure, and has subconscious male gaze ideologies about her value. Cassie wants Maddy’s [Alexa Demie] confidence – she wants the “unconditional love” that Maddy and Nate supposedly had. So, Cassie does her best to become Maddy or a version of Maddy that Nate wants. Not that complicated. He could have spent less time on that triangle and given us a better Kat storyline. Whatever.
Lexi! Lexi, Lexi, Lexi [Maude Apatow]. An icon. Sam did something right with her character. And that play?! AMAZING! Great character choices. The episodes with the play… a bit of a rerun. We get a little more backstory on Lexi, her relationship with the other characters and her trauma. It was a clever round-up of the story. However, it was repetitive in the grand scheme of both seasons and had no reason encompassing almost two entire episodes.
Sam Levinson wrote a beautiful backstory for Cal Jacobs [Eric Dane]. BUT a redemption arc for this character is not what the overall story needs. Understanding his motivations? Fine. Trying to make me feel sorry for the consequences of his actions because of that past? Unnecessary. He’s an adult. He made his choices. Also, as far as I’m aware, the United States law doesn’t arrest people who purchase prostitution services. They arrest those offering the services. In that case, the only evidence (THAT WE KNOW OF) Nate could have given to the police and have Cal arrested would be the video of Cal and Jules in the motel. However, in episode six, Nate gives Jules the DVD of that night and tells her it’s the original and there are no copies. Maybe Nate lied, but I don’t know for certain because the show didn’t clarify… What is Cal being arrested for, Sam?
My theory is that Sam Levinson wrote a season and ran into issues with the cast about the script. Maybe he already had a shooting start date and had to rewrite fast. I imagine that he didn’t have a chance to think things through until he was in the editing room with the footage he had shot. That’s why some of the episodes have lots of filler shots that set a ~vibe~ because Sam hadn’t written enough usable story. I also think that may be why some of the old plotlines from season one ended up with fast and messy conclusions.
I think I still like the show. I’m rooting for the characters. I want to see Rue figure her shit out, although I also want her addiction portrayed honestly and her narration explained by her eventual death at some point. And this all hinges on what Sam does with the third season. If he can’t flesh out the characters he abandoned and wrap up plot holes he forgot, I’m out.
Quick shout out to the incredible performances from the actors contributing to this project. They have done incredible things with what they’re given.
